IT training muscle and fitness hers UK TruePDF april may 2019

Warm up 5-10mins Bike Warm the muscles, thin the blood, preparing you for the work ahead Squats 3 21-13-8 4 min The king of leg development and overall body growth stimulation, learn per

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Take the Bull by

the Horns

Y ou can stand

around and talk about all the things you wanted to do, and you can chat all you like about the ideas you had, but unless you take action, then you will never know if those things would have

worked Live in regret and you won’t ever fully achieve what you are capable of…

talk is cheap and action is seldom I have lost count of the number of people who

“wanted to get into great shape”; who had “a great business idea”; who “should

have said something”….but they didn’t And all they have is the story, nothing more!

I want to have the story, the book, the memories and pictures – I want the legacy, the experience, the

knowledge and the journey

I don’t want to just think about it…I want to see

if I can achieve it.

Even if you fail, it’s so much better than not having tried – I should know, along with many successes have been many failures, but that’s ok with

me At least I had a go One time I organised a music event called ‘Mad about Music’ in Brighton I was sure it would work, and

I wanted to achieve something great, but actually I screwed it up The low point of the experience was the band E17 turning

up, who I had booked because they were huge stars back then They turned up two hours late, appeared either high and/or drunk, and they couldn’t sing too well! The event was

a huge flop, but from that experience I learnt and moved on At least I tried

to do it.

If you believe in yourself then why not give it a go? Why not say that thing, take that action, start that business, make that step… take the bull by the horns and go for it!

@nickorton22 Nick Orton

CEO BodyPowerwww.bodypower.com

Spring is here and it’s time to peel

back the layers But that doesn’t mean

you have to be a size 6! At Muscle &

Fitness HERS we love to celebrate all body

types whilst promoting a healthy diet and

lifestyle

I teamed up with IFBB Figure Pro

Melissa Haywood, who’s happier than ever

enjoying a balanced diet and exercise

programme and GluteyWear CEO

Carly Thornton on a trip to Marbella to

shoot 3 very different body types and

encourage women to be happy in the

skin they’re in

IFBB Figure Pro and Lifestyle Coach Melissa Haywood says:

“I used to struggle to find gym clothing that was flattering unless I was competition lean Now that I’ve made the transition from competitive athlete to simply enjoying

a fit and healthy lifestyle, I am finding my confidence sporting a more sustainable all-year-round shape

“When I first stopped competing I found

it hard to transition to a less extreme lifestyle and battled with my self-confidence At times I thought I’d never shoot again Flying to Marbella to shoot

for GluteyWear, as well as helping hundreds

of clients make the step back from stage

to a sustainable and healthy lifestyle has elevated my self belief and I’m now more eager than ever to assist others in the same way

“If you’d like diet or lifestyle coaching with me post-comp, or simply to improve your body and mind, check out my Insta:

@ifbb_pro_melissa_jayne” HERS

Photograph: @fit_visuals for @gluteywear

www.gluteywear.comGet Ready to

Spring into Action!

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Danni Levye-mail: d.levy@bodypower.com

SUB-EDITOR

Samantha Yardleye-mail: s.yardley@bodypower.com

ADVERTISING

TO ADVERTISE:

Samantha YardleyTel: 07715 333 308e-mail: s.yardley@bodypower.com

We assume no responsibility for returning unsolicited material, including but not limited to photographs, artwork, manuscripts and letters Membership on the Editorial Advisory Board does not imply endorsement of any product or service advertised in this magazine Views expressed in advertisements and editorials are not necessarily those of M uscle & F itness or the Editorial Advisory Board Reader discretion is advised Please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise or diet programme, or when making changes in an existing programme if you have any doubts about your health status.Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information in M&F, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice contained herein BodyPower Publishing Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in M&F is derived from respectable sources It does not, however, assume responsibility for the advertisements, nor any claims and representations made therein, nor the quality or delivery of the products/services themselves.

Editorial articles relating to food supplementation and sports nutrition reproduced in this issue of Muscle & Fitness, are for information purposes only and are not intended to solicit or otherwise promote any commercialised product containing the mentioned supplements Muscle & Fitness is distributed on an international basis To the extent permitted by law,Weider Publications, LLC, a subsidiary of American Media, Inc and its affiliates: BodyPower Publishing Ltd, do not accept liability for the effects of reported supplements or products, legal or illegal or any loss, injury or damage caused by their use It is the responsibility of the individual to abide by the laws and dosage allowances specific to their country of residence Always consult a doctor before commencing supplementation or changing dosages Some supplements may not work effectively outside specific dosage ranges and may potentially cause harm if taken in excess Not all supplements, combinations of supplements, or dose ranges of supplements may be suitable, safe or effective for everybody.

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Suite 605 Holly Court, Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, Warwickshire, CV8 1NP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Nick Orton

Founder and Chairman EmeritusJOE WEIDER (1920–2013)

Copyright © (2018) BodyPower Publishing Ltd Published under license from Weider Publications, LLC, a subsidiary of American Media, Inc

All rights reserved Reprinted with permission ‘Muscle & Fitness’ is a trademark of Weider Publications, LLC, a subsidiary of American Media, Inc

and may not be used or reproduced without the permission of Weider Publications, LLC.

The information in MUSCLE & FITNESS is intended to educate Do not substitute it for the advice of a qualified health care practitioner.

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

L egs first, legs second

and legs third, is

usually the answer

I receive when I ask

trainees which body part

they find the most difficult

and downright unpleasant

to train.

It’s one of the cold hard facts of life, that

most often what we enjoy the least is of

the most benefit, and what we enjoy the

most is of the greatest detriment

When did you last hear someone say,

“Id love a nice cold carrot juice after

work”, or “how about we watch a movie

and have a couple of scoops of broccoli”

These are just the facts! Or are they?

What if I could revolutionise your leg

training in only 11 sets per week, what

if those results meant that your body

would be disproportionately more

capable of burning fat afterwards due

to the huge spike in your metabolic rate,

and what if the newly developed muscle

resulting from your leg training made

future fat loss workouts and diet

requirements infinitely more productive

and easier? Surely you would be far

more interested in ‘leg day’ then?

Well, in my personal experience, as well

as that of ALL of my trainees, those are

the facts and this is why and how:

Why?

Your legs are your PRIME movers, in

most any sport or activity you undertake

your legs do the most work, each step

you take, each time you stand from

seating, each flight of stairs you climb

activates your prime movers It is the use

of these prime movers that recruits more

muscle fibre and burns more calories

than any other body part

Legs first, legs second and legs third, this

is usually my response when I am asked which parts of the body one should focus their attention on in order to achieve an overall change in their body

By Cindy Landolt Photographs by Adrian Portman

So, we need to asses from the top

down, which exercises stimulate your

prime movers the most

How?

A real leg training session consists of

heavy squatting and leg pressing at its

core, the squat exercise uses more

muscles then any other (save for the trap

bar deadlift, but that is out of the scope

of many gyms)

When you train the squat correctly not

only is it the key exercise for stimulating

muscle growth in the thighs, hips and

lower back, it is also the king exercise for

increasing muscle size and strength

throughout the body Put simply the

more you are capable of squatting, the

more potential for improvement you

have throughout your body Squat

strength is inextricably linked to your

ability to develop musculature in the

arms, back and chest

So why is it so often overlooked?

Why is it that this super productive

exercise is the last one you want to

tackle? Well, ultimately, it’s hard,

it requires a serious amount of will

and fortitude to perform the squat with a weight that is capable of making

a metamorphic change to your body

Once you become capable of executing perfect technique with a weight that approaches 150% of your bodyweight

on the bar for high reps, the ordeal becomes downright brutal for the uninitiated!

Next up, leg press

When performed with perfect technique, the leg press can be highly productive for the quadriceps and hip flexors, what

is of upmost importance is that you do not sag in the lower back whilst performing the exercise, you must drive off the top of your gluteus, that must be the area of pressure in the seat

Additionally, you need to direct the pressure through the centre of your feet not the toes (that will put undue stress on your patella tendon) or your heels (that will accentuate the pressure on your lumbar).

So, when you sit in the leg press, concentrate on making the two opposing pressure points the top of your glutes and the centre of your feet Your knees should remain in-line with your leg drive, neither sagging outwards or buckling inward You should never ‘kick out’ at the top of the lift, nor drop the weight down into you at the bottom When all of this is performed as described, you can move some serious weight

in the leg press and build thighs that you previously thought unimaginable

On to leg extensions, these don’t need much of an explanation, only to say that you must perform each rep

in a controlled manner, neither swinging or kicking the weight upwards

Leg curls: be careful here, the hamstring is a vulnerable muscle, so never overload it In my experience, the Romanian style deadlift is the most effective builder of thick hamstring muscle, but I perform those during my back training session and I wouldn’t recommend doing them on leg day as it will simply be too much work on your lower back after heavy squats, so for the interest of this leg specific routine I suggest relatively light hamstring curls, but you must really focus on using the hamstring muscle in isolation, really put your mind into the muscle and if you are on a ‘lie flat’ hamstring curl

Cindy’s best lower-body workout

machine, never lift your hips up off the bench, as this transfers

the load away from the hamstrings and into the lower back

and hips

Final exercise is calf raises I won’t go into the stimulus

differences of each variant here, but for me, I get the best

overall development from using the seated calf raise machine

Not much can go wrong here, just make sure you are getting a

full range of motion and aren’t sagging at the bottom, taking

the stress off your calf muscles and in effect creating a heavy

stretch on your achilles tendon Your calves respond best to

higher rep ranges

Warm up 5-10mins Bike Warm the muscles, thin the blood, preparing you for the work ahead

Squats 3 21-13-8 4 min The king of leg development and overall body growth stimulation, learn perfect technique

here, ALWAYS keep a straight back, look slightly up and descend until the tops of your thighs are just below horizontal, do not let your knees pass over in front of your toes, feel the center

of the weight through your instepLeg press 2 13-8 4 min Be careful to use a leg press that doesn’t encourage a rounding of your lower back, the effort

should mostly be felt through your quadricepsLeg extensions 2 13-8 2 min Simple, slow and controlled, be careful not to lock out the knees at the top, this places undue

stress upon the patella tendon, merely raise and lower, do not kick or throw the weightLeg curls 2 13-8 2 min Simple, slow and controlled, the hamstring is in a vulnerable position during this exercise, so be

careful not to use too much weight here, train the muscle, don’t force the jointCalf raises 2 21-13 2 min Higher reps, full range of motion, no sagging or bouncing at the bottom and ensure you get a

full contraction (almost a cramp sensation) at the topCarbohydrate and

protein shake

Consume 40g of protein with 40g of carbohydrate

Warm down 5 mins Back on the bike, push fresh nutrient filled blood through your muscles, beginning the growth

process immediately

This routine sets to transform your legs, notice I use 4 minutes of rest between sets of the squat and leg press, if you are used

to shorter rest this might be a surprise to you, but believe me, once you have completed sufficient reps in these multi joint exercises with a weight that takes you to your limit, that 4 minutes will feel more like 40 seconds!

In conclusion.

What I have outlined above is a very simple yet highly effective method of developing leg size and shape, based firmly on the principles of increasing your strength in exercises selected to give the most return on your input

It will work for you, as it has worked for me and still does There is no need to overcomplicate your training with additional variants of the squat or adductor work or specific glute targeting exercises Become stronger in these 5 exercises and you will build a life long foundation not only for great legs, but also the platform from which you can create the rest of your body, this workout should be the keystone to your physique

Remember, legs first, legs second and legs third

The Ab-solutes of a perfect mid-section

What are Abs?

In simple terms the abs are the

abdominal musculature that is positioned

between the rib cage/thorax and the

pelvis/pubis and are composed as

follows:

Rectus Abdominis

The rectus abdominis muscles are the

muscles that most people view as the six

pack, the main function of these muscles

is to lift the knees up to the chest

External Intercostals

These muscles run across your ribcage

diagonally and assist in deep respiration

as they work to expand and contract the

ribcage

Obliques

The role of the obliques is to rotate your

body from side to side and flex the spine

left and right

Serratus

These muscles run from the side of your

ribcage to your latissimus assisting you

in pulling your shoulder blades forward

All of this is not to give you a human

anatomy lesson, but to explain that the

abs are actually a very complex group of

muscles that realistically deserve a

bigger title in the world of physical

training than just ‘abs’, it’s also to

highlight that it’s very easy to

accidentally shift the focus or stress

away from the muscle that you are

wanting to train, never quite giving them

the stimulus that they need to develop

Truly, more often than not, the

prescribed abdominal training that I see

performed in gyms globally achieves

nothing more than injuries and

disappointment

This is down to a combination of

The Absoultes of a perfect mid-section

factors, poor exercise selection, poor

posture and technique whilst performing

the exercise, zero ‘mind muscle link’ and

the lack of use of resistance

Lets break this down further and

find solutions

The classic ‘sit up’ or crunch is the

number one ‘go to’ exercise in the

arsenal of most instructors and trainees,

this in some way makes sense, it directly

attacks the midsection and you can really

feel like you are working hard and be

satisfied by your efforts at the end of

each set or session… Right?

Well, if you are looking to create a new

level of endurance capability in your

abdominal wall, then yes, maybe There

are certain sports where this function is

essential, wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu

come to mind, these are sports where

the abdomen plays a great part of

controlling your opponent on the ground

over a potentially long period of time

Abdominal wall endurance plays a role

here But I bet that most of you are far

more interested in getting that 6 pack,

or 8 pack if you follow this programme

So, with that in mind we need to select

exercises that actually stimulate the

development of new muscle fibers in

your abdominal wall

To do this we don’t want thousands of

reps per week, that’s borderline CV work,

we want to stimulate the growth of the

ab musculature, in the same way that we

stimulate the growth of any other musculature in the body, through resistance

We also don’t want to spend precious training time working on side bends or worrying about twisting at the top to get that extra ‘burn’, we are here to build muscle throughout your midsection, as one If you perform the exercises that

I prescribe in the manner in which

I describe, there will be NO need to get lost in trying to add details, your

ab development will be complete!

There are a few good abdominal training machines out there, I for one like

to use the nautilus ab machine, mine is a fairly old example and a precursor to the modern range, the brand is actually not

so important, what is important, (in fact essential) is how you fit and feel when on the machine We are clearly not all ‘one size’, so you must get yourself in the absolute perfect position on the machine and ensure that when you perform the exercise it goes through the total range

of motion of your abs as well as being

certain that the ONLY area that you feel the stress of the exercise is in your abdominal wall, this is KEY, for even the greatest piece of equipment can be foiled if you don’t implement its use correctly

One of the biggest problems with the sit up or the crunch is that the majority

of the stress is focused upon your hip flexor muscles and NOT your abs, additionally the stress is very short in duration, and by nature of how your body is always in the process of trying

to find it’s balance, you will tend to subconsciously throw your body through the middle part of the sit up as fast as possible, the performance of your sit up most likely goes something like this:You begin lay flat, knees bent, feet apart, hands behind your head (you are balanced) you begin the sit up, pulling

a little on your head, you feel tension in your hip flexors, your lower back, even your legs (this is further exaggerated if you choose to anchor your feet) As you move higher you become more and more

imbalanced You now jerk through the most productive phase

(the midpoint) in the shortest possible time, as your body tries

to regain its balance (at the top part of the exercise), where

your shoulders are placed near vertical above your hips and

you say “ONE!” Now as you return to the starting point your

body again tries to get through the imbalanced midpoint as

quickly as possible, without using the abdominal wall other

than to add secondary stability to your lower back, you then

lie flat backed on the floor having completed a rep, and your

body has returned to the balanced state that it is always

seeking!

So consider now that during that 6 second full rep, your

abdominal wall was only the main focus of the exercise for

maybe 0.25 seconds, and that the time it spent exposed to the

necessary stress required to make it develop was in fact

‘hurried through’ by your body’s natural desire to avoid this

state of physical imbalance! Now don’t blame yourself, you’ve

done nothing wrong, if your body wasn’t always looking to

hold its balance, we’d never have learned to walk, however in

the context of developing your abdominal wall we MUST use

exercises that provide it with the maximum stress whilst also

exposing the musculature to this stress for a long enough

duration for it to have the desired effect

Using the correct machine, with your body positioned

perfectly, seat height set ideally for you, range set to allow

your body to go from flat backed to a full contraction of your

abs, knees firmly together, will expose your abs to the most

focused workout that they’ve ever known

Seat height determines which row of your abs that you are

targeting, the higher the seat, the lower down the abdominal

wall you are targeting and vice versa

Additionally you must apply what I like to term the

‘mind-muscle link’, this is to ensure that you are fully focused on the

areas of the abs that you are targeting; with practice you can

literally focus the stress on any of one the four rows of your

abs, this is how you will be able to develop your lower abs to

the same degree as your upper

This is the real MEAT of the routine, you must strive to

increase the weight used on your ab machine, develop thick

full and strong abdominal muscles through increasing your

strength!

The actual routine (detailed later) dictates that we use three

different exercises for our ab routine to stimulate

development Firstly the weighted machine ab work explained above, secondly, the seated knee-raise and thirdly a very reduced range version of the lying crunch

These exercises combine to give you the maximum development for your abs in any one session

The Seated Knee-Raise

I find that the problem with the traditional hanging knee raise

is that a vast amount of the stress is dissipated down through your legs and even up towards your latissimus, and, unless you use straps your grip will fail long before your abs ever become fully stimulated Add to this the difficulty in keeping your body from swinging around during the set and you will see why I have chosen to alter the exercise to a more productive version.With all of this in mind, I train my lower abs by sitting on the very end of a high bench, I then place my hands behind me and point me feet out in front, your now out-stretched body will be angled at approximately 45 degrees to the floor, you use your hands merely as a guide throughout the exercise, to help ensure that you don’t lean too far back (this places undue stress on your lower back) or lean too far forward, this shifts the emphasis away from your lower abs and onto your hip flexors and thighs

Then with your feet firmly together, steadily raise your knees towards your chest, high enough to get a complete contraction, but not so high as to regain balance in your core and rob your abs of the stress, then return to the outstretched start position in a slow and controlled manner, ensuring that the ONLY place you feel the stress is in your LOWER abs throughout the entire duration of the rep!

To perform the exercise perfectly, you must really concentrate on making the area just below your naval the pivot point of your body, it may take a few ‘finder reps’ (even sets) to get it focused right in, targeting your lower abdominal region and giving you that so hard to create 8 pack!

When you get this movement 100% correct you will be amazed by the depth of sensation and stimulus that you will feel in your lower abs, it will take some practice to get this position exactly right for you, but when you do, you will have discovered the key to 8 pack development, eureka!

The Correct Crunch

The objective of these crunches is not to lift your chin to your knees, it’s to attempt to shorten the distance between your shoulders and your hips

Exercise Reps Rest

Machine ab training

(nautilus for me)

21-13-8 4 3 Full effort here, in a very controlled manner, making sure that the seat height is perfect for

YOU!

Seated knee raises

(as described)

21-13-8 2 3 Really focus on your lower abs, position your body so that the centre of the exertion is

exactly where it should be

Really wrap your head around this, lie on your back and

think about shortening this distance and you will feel a very

focused inner tension that really targets your full abdominal

wall, now squeeze your knees together and increase the

pressure in your abs

If you feel your shoulder blades lifting too high off the floor

or feel the tension shift to your hip flexors and lower back then

you have begun to perform an old school sit up, this indicates

the limit of the exercise Simply put, the point where your abs

are fully contracted you will feel that there is no more room

left to shorten the shoulder-hip distance before you begin to

perform what is known as the classic sit up, this again is the

limit of your movement, go no further, the contraction is

complete

I have actually found the following to be the optimum

manner in which to perform the exercise

I lie on my back on a soft mat (one that I sink into a little),

this provides a nice even support for my spine I then raise my

feet off the floor bending my knees until the stress moves

away from my legs and hips and onto my lower/mid abs, I hold

this stress (and position) in my abs and steadily shorten the

distance between my shoulders and hips, I feel my spine round

out into the soft mat and ALL four rows of my abdominal wall

become fully engaged and contracted through a relatively

shallow range of motion, at maximum contraction I briefly

hold and tighten my abs without involving my lower back, and

then I return slowly to the relaxed position, it is important that you fully relax when lying flat, so that the muscles can go from zero tension to maximum tension during the rep

I also keep my hands flat on the mat, palms down alongside

my legs and slide them along the mat throughout the exercise

At the end of each rep in the relaxed position I raise my hands

up over my head and touch the ground above/behind my head, opening out my ribcage and abdominal wall, at which point I take a deep breath (that I will exhale during the next positive phase of the crunch) before returning to the start position placing my hands to the sides of my legs and performing another rep

The Routine

The reps prescribed are exact and not to be changed, the weight used in the abs machine should be increased after every workout, small increments over a long time is the key here

On the other 2 exercises, you can actually increase the stimulus merely by working a stronger contraction during each rep, in effect making the exercise harder for yourself, not in form but in effort!

The rest between sets is different depending on the exercise, this is due to the according likely recovery times it takes to recover, I want you to be able to use 100% of your remaining strength in each and every set, this is why I allow more rest time for the machine ab work, and less for the bodyweight work.This is a weekly workout, at maximum it should be performed no more than once every five days, if you feel you are totally recovered

There’s been plenty of hype over social

media in the last two years since their soft

launch on the web, but now that the app is

released on iOS and Android and is used in

10 countries, people are going mad for it!

Steve Quick MSc, BSc (Hons) and

brother Daniel Jones BSc (Hons), from

Southampton, England, are the founders,

creators, and owners of Shredify

So what is Shredify?

Shredify is a unique fitness app that is

already changing lives for the better

Gone are the days of one-shape-fits-all

Shredify allows you to select your dream

body shape/goal and then train and

progress towards it using workouts

targeted explicitly with that result in

mind

Shredify Your life

But that’s not all! The app learns users’ behaviour and will adjust each workout based on your previous performance The software is so advanced that there are no pre-planned

“generic” workouts at all

Who is behind Shredify?

To create workouts tailored for every person’s individual needs requires a good deal of fitness knowledge

The creator of this unique app is Stevo Quick A former Royal Marine with operational service in Afghanistan,

he holds two degrees and is a level-4 Personal Trainer Stevo teamed up with his brother Daniel, an expert in software development and programme creations who also holds a degree in this subject

The idea for this app first came about when Stevo realised there was a gap in the market for personal training software that could learn user behaviour and provide progressions based on their performance

He was tired of seeing the same generic programmes being passed out to everyone, and so together, they used his wealth of fitness knowledge to create the Shredify dream

The brothers challenged themselves

to create software that gave users

workouts that were tailored, plus had the flexibility to suit any lifestyle They understood that lives are not as routine

as a pre-determined workout programme expects of us

And so Shredify was born!

The brain of the app, appropriately coined as the “workout engine” is where the magic happens It thinks and acts like the most skilled body transformation

Stevo Quick and Daniel Jones

Co-Founder Stevo Quick

Each exercise has an instructional video and teaching points to ensure that each movement is performed safely and effectively

The app is simple, just select a body shape goal, either Curve Model, Beach Master, Titan, Spartan, or Goliath, and then watch the workout engine create your unique programme

Workouts might include HIIT, depending on your body shape goal, and you can exercise in the park, at home

What is so incredible about Shredify

is that you can use this app at the gym, with the gym equipment, including all resistance machines, free weights, cables and other kit such as kettlebells, slam balls, and battle ropes Or at the other end of the spectrum you can have an entirely “home-based,” bodyweight workout

Shredify has catered for the total novice, to the most hardened of gym goers ensuring all abilities can progress

Shredify is already leading the way with regular blogs on its website, and daily updates across their social media channels HERS

Make sure you follow these guys,

on Facebook, and Twitter #Shredify

#ShredifyApp #TeamShredInstagram: @shredify @shredifycoach

@danieldarrenjonesModel @elizawatsonfit

Turn to page 30 to give our Shredify HERS workout a try!

“The best workout app we’ve seen all

specialist/ strength and conditioning

coach you would find anywhere in the

world

Cutting edge personal training

principles are input into the app, using

coding funnels that tweak the app’s

performance in real time so that

each user can trust that what they are

doing is in line with current fitness

guidelines

“Getting the code right,” was the

biggest challenge said Daniel, as the

complex nature of the algorithms that

create the exercises is so advanced

that if the code were written in size 10

font, it would fill a professional football

field

ON THE PROWL Perfect your pins

with this dumbbell

leg shaper from Queen of the curves, the Golden Panther

By DannI Levy

Photographs by Simon Howard

“If you want to sculpt a shapely figure

AND have definition, you need to build

muscle,” says Indira, the vegan stunner

better known as the Golden Panther

“To do that, you need to lift heavy! If

the weight is only a few kilos/pounds

to begin with, and that’s heavy for

you, then that’s fine, but you need to

be struggling to complete those last

few reps It’s all about taking each set

to absolute, or close to absolute,

muscular failure.”

Blast your lower-body with these

top 5 exercises for perfect pins:

1) DUMBBELL LUNGES

TARGETS: Quads, glutes and hamstrings

HOW TO:

1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding both dumbbells.

2) Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips Go

down until your rear knee almost touches the ground Your posture

should always remain upright, and your front knee should be aligned

directly above your front foot

3) Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to

raise yourself back up

4) Step forward with your rear foot and repeat using the other leg.

REPS/SETS/REST:

* 2 warm up set of 10 reps each leg

* 3 working sets of 10-12 reps each leg

* 30 seconds / 1 minute rest if necessary between sets

2) DOUBLE DUMBBELL SQUATS

TARGETS: Quads, glutes, hamstrings and develops core strength

HOW TO:

1) Hold both dumbbells on top of your shoulders before you start

squatting

2) Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips Your toes should

be pointed slightly outwards (About 5 to 20°)

3) Look straight ahead, keeping your spine in a neutral position Your

weight should be spread evenly throughout the heels and balls of

your feet

4) Now breathe in, break at your hip and push your butt back Keep

your back straight and your chest and shoulders up As you squat

down, focus on keeping your knees in line with the feet

5) Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees (parallel)

Keeping everything tight, breathe out and drive through your heels

Drive your knees out the same way you did on the way down and

squeeze your butt at the top

REPS/SETS/REST:

* 1 warm up set of 12 reps

* 3 working sets of 10-12 reps

* 30 seconds / 1 minute rest if necessary between sets

3) STIFF LEGGED DEADLIFTS WITH DUMBBELLS

TARGETS: Hamstrings, glutes and lower back

HOW TO:

1) With a slight bend in your knees, place your feet shoulder-width

apart

2) Whilst keeping your back over your heels, inhale and lower the

dumbbells down towards your ankles

3) Slide your hips back as you lower the weight, until you can move

* 30 seconds / 1 minute rest if necessary between sets

4) SINGLE LEG HAMSTRING DUMBBELL DEADLIFTS

TARGETS: Hamstrings, glutes and lower back

HOW TO:

1) Assume a single-leg stance holding bold both dumbbells Keep your

back straight and your core tight, looking straight ahead The shoulder blades should be retracted

2) Lower your upper-body by bending at the hip Keep your back

straight

3) Lower the dumbbells down the thigh and shin of the supporting leg

Push your hips back and slightly bend the knee during the descent

4) Swing the free leg back so it stays in line with your torso.

5) Lower the upper-body until a mild stretch is felt in the hamstrings

Squeeze glutes and return to the starting position

REPS/SETS/REST:

* 1 warm up set of 12 reps

* 3 sets of 10-12 reps each leg

* 30 seconds / 1 minute rest if necessary between sets

On the Prowl

5) DUMBBELL HIP THRUSTS

TARGETS: Glutes, hamstrings and quads

HOW TO:

1) Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on a bench.

2) Make sure your neck is in a relaxed position and your lower back is

straight

3) Hold the dumbbell with both hands.

4) Lift your hips towards the ceiling as high as you can, without raising

your feet or shoulders off the floor

5) Try to form a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.

6) Squeeze your butt cheeks together when your thrust your hips up.

REPS/SETS/REST:

* Warm up set of 15 reps without using the dumbbell, squeezing your

glutes for 3 seconds when you reach to the top

* 3 working sets of 10-12 reps, squeezing your glutes 5 seconds

in each rep

* 30 seconds / 1 minute rest if necessary between sets Instagram: @_golden_panther

to be covering muscle-up progressions;

a calisthenics favourite!

These progression exercises will help us to work on our pull-up and dip strength too.

All of these exercises are especially great for our core and upper bodies Ideal to incorporate into your training as an added extra or as a standalone workout.

Add resistance bands where necessary to make these exercises accessible for all, regardless of ability

•Start at the top of the bar with your arms straight Look forward and keep whole body engaged

•Lean forward, leading with the chest and bring the lower body as close to bar as possible

•Then, push back up and return to the start position

10 reps for 4 sets

Straight

bar dips

Band assisted muscle-ups

•Put the band around the bar, placing one part under your bottom first

•Place your feet into the band and jump up onto the bar

•Start at the top, looking forward and lower yourself around the bar keeping elbows in Keep your core engaged

•Lower yourself into a deadhang

•Then, with an explosive pull, pull yourself back up aiming

to get your chest to the bar

•Rotate your hands around the bar as your chest comes towards it and move your whole body around the bar, keeping your core engaged

•Then, push your body back up to the starting position

5 reps for 5 sets

Bodyweight with Beau

•Start up on the bar, looking forwards with your arms straight

•Lower your body, leading with the chest around the bar Keep your quads and core fully engaged

•Slowly transition into an L-sit, with your whole body positioned under the bar

•Initially, this will feel like you are just

falling, but rest assured it will get easier with practice!

5 reps for 5 sets

Negative

muscle up

Russian dips

•Using a band to help

initially, put your

feet in and stand

up in the band

•Lower yourself into

a dip, going as low

as you can

•Aim to get your

armpit to the bar

and place your

elbows onto it

•Lean your body back,

looking forward

keeping your core,

quads and glutes

engaged

•Throw your body

forwards back onto

your hands

•Push yourself back

into the start

position

5 reps for 5 sets

•Hold a chin-up position with your chin above the bar for 15 secs Keeping your core, quads and glutes engaged Don’t arch the lower back

•Lower to the middle phase, with your head directly below the bar maintaining the same body positioning Hold for 15 secs

•Then, lower to

a dead hang and hold for a further 15 secs

* Repeat the same hold but with wide grip, narrow grip and reverse grip Bodyweight with Beau

Instagram: @_tbeau

Isometric holds

T he Shredify workout engine

prescribes workouts based

on your goals and chosen

environment The app also

provides details of which muscle

groups are being worked and

what equipment you might need,

if any The workout engine is so

advanced that it will pull exercises

based entirely on what equipment

you have available, and if there is

no equipment available, you’ll get

a series of bodyweight strength,

plyo and HIIT exercises targeted

for your goals

Give this full body workout a blast

with Eliza Watson, designed to help you

achieve a Spartan physique

By Danni Levy

Photographs by Jody Wright

Shredify Workout

Single Leg Hip Thrusts

 Lie with your back flat to the floor, one leg bent with that foot flat on the floor, and the other leg extended upwards

 Place your arms down by your sides and lift your hips until your thighs are in line with your abs

 Lower your glutes towards the floor and repeat

 Breathe under control

Ab

Extensions

 Sit with your feet

together raised off the

floor, fingers next to

your temples

 Lean back and extend

your legs away from

you placing your arms

across your chest, then

repeat

 Breathe under control

‘Check your daily or

weekly progress towards your body shape goal’

Go to shredify.com/hers to get started

your body weight on

your palms and toes,

hands shoulder-width

apart

 Lift and extend one

leg off the floor

 Lower your body

keeping your neck,

back, and legs in

alignment until your

chest touches the

floor

 Press up, keeping

your elbows tucked

into your sides

 Stand tall and repeat

 Breathe under control

Barbell Squats

 Adjust the weight on a barbell

 Place the barbell across your shoulders, behind the head

 Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down lowering your glutes toward the floor until your knees are bent at 90 degrees, stand tall then repeat

 Keep your back straight and your eyes looking forward

 Breathe under control

Barbell Good Mornings

 Adjust the weight on a barbell

 Place the barbell across your shoulders behind the head

 Lock off your knees and lean forward from the hips, while keeping your back straight

 Before your back starts to arch, stand tall then repeat

 Breathe under control



 Breathe under control

Pull -Up Leg Extensions

 Grasp a pull-up bar and take your entire body weight off the floor

 Pull yourself up until your arms are at 90 degrees

 Lift your knees in front of your hips

 Straighten your arms while extending both legs in front of the body

 Breathe under control



STOP MESSING UP

YOUR PEAK WEEK!

Peak week Everyone’s favourite buzzword through prep This is what we wait for, isn’t it? This is where our physique transforms right in front of our very eyes, right?

By Adam Hayley

First, let’s clarify the end goal

Ladies: Unless you are competing in

women’s physique or bodybuilding,

you need to remember that your goal

isn’t to look ‘dry’, ‘shredded’ and

‘vascular’ Bikini and figure girls, your aim

is to come in looking lean, full and

healthy

The bikini and figure categories are

evidently the most ‘marketable’; these

are the ones that draw other females into

the sport due to it being somewhat more

attainable to reach the required

condition As a result, the aim is most

definitely not to be up on stage looking

drawn and stringy whilst suffering from

cramping and dehydration Always keep

your category requirements, and goal, in

mind

Men: Quite the opposite – the end

goal IS for you to look dry, shredded

and vascular Providing you’ve worked

your damned hardest throughout

your ‘off/improvement season’, given

yourself enough time in this growth

phase and allowed yourself a long

enough prep, you should already be

looking like this! Therefore no extremes

needed

The big question is: If you are looking

‘bang on the money’ in that final week

S adly, it doesn’t usually

play out like that.

prior to the competition, why on earth would you risk going to the extremes to try and make marginal improvements, say 5% tops, knowing that if you mess

up, you’re going to potentially look 50% worse?

Other than filling out a little, the majority of people should be able to cruise into that last week, dare I say it, fairly easily

Four big mistakes, and a golden nugget of advice

In a system as complex as that of the human body, there are little times you can speak in absolutes But judging from the insanity that I frequently see in peak week plans, it’s fair to say the following four are absolute no-no’s:

1 COMPLETELY REMOVING SODIUM WEEKS OUT FROM A CONTEST

Only IF you have to, manipulating sodium should be a short-term thing There’s no rationale in removing sodium

at 4-5 weeks out, that’s just plain ridiculous Any manipulations we do make, whether to water or sodium, is with the goal of making temporary shifts

in renal hormones such as aldosterone and vasopressin

People need to remember that the body loves homeostasis (balance), and it will often overshoot in order

to try and achieve this Therefore, the above stated hormones will often rebound, which is what people don’t always realise when implementing these manipulations

Over a six-day period of sodium

restriction, one study showed

aldosterone levels to have tripled

Aldosterone plays a vital role in

maintaining fluid balance by assisting in

the reabsorption/retention of both water

and sodium Liken it to water being

retained through the menstrual cycle–

it is the same hormone controlling this

In this study, at the beginning

of the trial, aldosterone sat at

10.4ng/100ml

One day into the sodium restriction

it went to 11.7ng/100ml (nothing too

drastic)

At 6 days in, it rose to a mighty

37ng/ml!

It is not only illogical from a water

manipulation standpoint (the whole

reason for doing so), it’s also pretty silly

as we need sodium for certain glucose

transporters to work In addition, it aids

in muscle contraction… you know, the

thing we do day in, day out in the gym

There can be a case made (sometimes)

for manipulating it in the final 12-24

hours before the show If you get it

wrong however, disaster can strike and

your physique could well head in the

wrong direction

How is this?

Sodium is CRITICAL for blood volume

You’re chasing that pump backstage, but

as soon as this volume drops, you can

kiss goodbye to getting that desired

look Instead you’ll appear flat/smooth,

which when under stage lights will have

you looking four plus weeks out

2 AMATEURS USING PRESCRIPTION- BASED DIURETICS

Turning up in ‘real’ condition will most

likely be enough to nail a top three

placing at local level qualifiers

Even the top guys in the sport are now

coming away from using

prescription-based diuretics; there’s a reason for this

A lot of people just take these drugs

without knowing the mechanism of

action behind them They also aren’t

aware that there are different classes of

them; loop diuretics, potassium sparing,

thiazide etc

So what can happen?

In ascending order of issues:

THE GOOD: You get the timing and dose

spot on, resulting in you coming in

looking 2-3% sharper (very rare)

THE BAD: You completely flatten out,

struggle to get a good pump, possible

cramping and end up looking much worse/more smooth on stage (most likely to happen)

THE UGLY: Misusing prescription-based diuretics can be lethal Both low sodium (hyponatremia) and high potassium (hyperkalemia) are possible eventualities

You may be familiar with the marathon runners that we occasionally hear about dying via ‘over hydration’ What typically happens here is they drink so much water they completely flush out their mineral balance, and in particular sodium, resulting in serious consequences, even death

Consider that of the three chemicals used in the lethal injection, potassium is the one that actually stops the heart and

is ultimately fatal The other two chemicals are used to sedate the person

as well as causing paralysis to the muscles This seems to be in the extreme case, but still, something that needs to

be acknowledged

Some individuals are prone to water retention If this is the case and you’ve managed to work this out during prep (and you’re 100% sure it’s not still just body fat that needs to come off, which

is more than likely the answer), then a good alternative at increasing the rate

of diuresis, without the potential side effects of the much more potent substances, would be to use a herbal diuretic such as Project AD’s H20 Remoove

The three candidates I suggest could

benefit from using this alternative are:

• Females competing around their

menstrual cycle

• Heavily stressed individuals (cortisol

binds to the same receptor as

aldosterone)

• Those retaining more water than usual

from using PED’s (Performance

Enhancing Drugs)

Chances are that most simply just have

body fat still to lose and won’t need to

use the above!

3COMPLETELY CHANGING TRAINING

I’ve seen different ends of the spectrum,

where competitors have either

completely stopped training a week out

from their show, or gone the opposite

way and hugely increased their rep

ranges on exercises But why?

Remember that we mentioned in one of

the paragraphs above– the body likes

balance? Well this is where I am going to

reiterate that point The key in peak week

is to keep as many variables as possible

the same

If you stop training a week out from

the show, the first thing you’ve done is

completely changed your energy balance Your body has become accustomed to expending ‘x’ amount of calories per week during your strength sessions, so not only are you about to carb/calorie load, but you’re also going

to pull back on one side of the energy balance equation and completely skew things further That doesn’t make sense, does it?

(To note: In this final week, a gradual taper in cardio to allow the legs to recover is fine, and often implemented, for most.)

Also, you may know about a process known as ‘glut-4 translocation’ Put simply, it means that muscle contraction aids in the transportation of glucose into our muscle cells Consequently, by training as usual while carb loading, we’re actually aiding the process by giving our muscles a reason to store and hold onto glycogen, allowing them to remain ‘full’ (the aim)

In regards to the second point, changing training from in the 6-12 rep range, for example, throughout the entire prep and then all of a sudden jumping to the 20-30 rep range, probably isn’t the wisest idea either

Think about this- what happens when you introduce a new stimulus or begin

a new training programme? You get sore Well, in order to aid in recovery, this soreness is often accompanied by a pooling of fluid (inflammation) around that area We’re usually carrying too much body fat to see this But, in that final week/few days leading into the show, it will be highly noticeable! Or at least should be, if you’re lean enough.The aim should be to keep training pretty much the same in your final week There are only two things I’d alter:

stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure (same inflammatory response above) and to move the last legs session to slightly earlier in the week In relation to legs, still train them, just not so close to the contest An idea would be to move them

to the Wednesday before a Sunday show

4LOADING AND DRYING AT THE SAME TIME

Something else that I read a lot is competitors attempting to ‘load and dry’

- at the same time

These are two completely different processes, that should be kept separate You see, to ‘load’ we are talking about P

Stop messing up your Peak Week!glycogen loading our muscle cells and

pursuing maximum fullness To be able

to do this properly, we need sodium

As mentioned earlier, without sodium,

carbohydrates can’t be shuttled and

stored correctly To coincide with this,

there’s a phrase in physiology that goes

along the lines of ‘where sodium goes,

water follows…’

To add to that, for every 1g of

carbohydrate stored, we’ll also store

approximately 2.7g water

In a nutshell: If you want your ‘load’

to be as successful as possible, you need to give it both water and sodium, and accept that you’ll you retain some fluid throughout this process

(temporarily)

Trying to ‘dry out’ during this process

is attempting to defy physics Instead, you should understand physiology, allow the body to do what it needs

to do and then start the drying process,

if needs be

5 SAVING THE BEST ‘TILL LAST; THE GOLDEN NUGGET Physique wise, be ready to step on stage

at least 7-10 days out from your show!

Hoping peak week will ‘fix’ you, and going into the week not looking on point,

is only going to end in disappointment Don’t kid yourself, it will show on stage The goal of the peak week is to touch up your physique and refine the details, perhaps tightening it by 2-3% The work should already be done

If at a week out you’re still sporting love

handles and wobbly bits – that’s body fat

No matter what anybody tells you, or how

your friends and family word it, it’s not

water As frustrating and deflating this

may feel, push the competition back a

little, choose a different show and work

harder towards this

Now that I’ve covered what you

shouldn’t do, I’m going to delve into

two example peak weeks with my view

on what you should/could do:

Natural female competitor – holding

water due to either menstrual cycle

or stress

- Right the way through this final week,

keep water intake exactly the same as

you’ve been drinking throughout the

entire prep For the majority, I’d

imagine this to be around 3.5-5 litres

- Keep sodium at approximately

1/8th small tin tsp sea salt with each meal

plus condiments would be about right

for most; this should be consistent with

your entire prep

- Move your last legs session to 2-3 days

out from the show, otherwise, train

as you normally would

- If applicable, drop high intensity

interval training (HIIT) at 7-10 days out

- If you are doing a high amount of

steady state cardio (SSCV), gradually

reduce this throughout the week

- Drop any yohimbine HCL products at

5 days out (if applicable)

- Use a herbal diuretic such as H20

Remoove around 3-4 days out from

competition (as noted previously, this

is for those suspected of retaining

water)

- Depending on how your physique is

looking at 3 days out, push your

carbohydrate intake approx 1.5-2x than

the ‘high’ day you were on through

prep For example, 100g becomes

150-200g

- At 2 days out, and judging by the

response, either repeat or adjust the

amount of carbohydrates up/down

- Play carb intake amount by ear at 1 day

out, and judging by look, consider

reducing carbs a little whilst increasing

fats if look is achieved

- On show day, have an ample sized

breakfast hitting a good intake of carbs,

fat and sodium (eggs on toast with

salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon

and cream cheese bagel, McMuffin etc

are all good examples)

- Throughout the day, every 2-4 hours,

switch over to meals you can easily

digest (chicken, white rice and almond butter), ensuring you are monitoring your look and response

- As a guide, either 2-3 classes before yours, or as you get called backstage, have ½ tsp sea salt with water + Reese’s

PB cupYou can now see from the above, it is really nothing crazy No extremes and on the most part, keeping consistent to your prep It’s maintaining water and sodium the same as you’ve done throughout and dropping anything that could potentially make you retain water (certain alcohol sugars, yohimbine HCL etc)

From then on, your aim is to give a fuller look to your muscles, so a gentle carb up will do the job

For the females that are around menstruation, or are particularly stressed, including a herbal diuretic can aid in the excretion of a little water

in a safe manner to give the desired look as you approach show day

Lastly, the pre-stage hit of sodium and peanut butter cup will aid in the pump up/ add fullness to certain areas pre-stage Although remember, for bikini classes, the goal isn’t to pump everything up and look huge and vascular– this could be of detriment

to your placing That being said, adding

a little blood and fullness to the lateral shoulders for example, may accentuate

a smaller waist, so this is an area to focus on

Natural male bodybuilder

- Right the way through ‘peak week’, keep water intake exactly the same

as you’ve been drinking throughout the entire prep For the majority, this is likely to be around 4.5-7 litres per day

- Keep sodium at approximately 1/8th tsp sea salt with each meal plus condiments would be about right for most; this should be consistent with your entire prep

- In the second half of the week,

to encourage recovery, drop the load by 10-20% and reduce volume by 20-30% Otherwise, train with your normal exercises and rep ranges

- Your last legs session should be scheduled to 3-4 days out

- If HIIT has been utilised in your prep, pull it out at 7-10 days out

- Taper SSCV through the week (if applicable)

- If applicable, drop yohimbine HCL

at 5 days out

- Depending on look at 4 days out, increase carbohydrates to 3x more than your ‘high’ day through prep E.g 150g becomes 450g

- At the 3 days out mark and if everything has gone to plan, repeat the carbs from the previous day

- In case of any ‘spill over’ occurring, at

2 days out, slightly lower carbohydrates and increase fats to clear this

- 1 day prior to the show, have a

‘refinement’ day Review your physique adjust carbs/fats accordingly to reach the desired look

- On show day, have a decent sized breakfast hitting a good amount

of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast with salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, McMuffin etc are all good examples)

- Throughout the day, every 2-4 hours, switch over to meals you can easily digest (chicken, white rice and almond butter), ensuring you are monitoring