Ask a Personal Trainer

Wardy257

I am new to posting on this site but have been using it for years and thought it was about time I gave something back.  I am a freelance Personal Trainer with a variety of additional qualifications and am happy to answer your questions about training be it for cardio, strength, power, sports or health.

The more information I have about you the better so please at least give me your sex, age, weight and anything else that is relevant (goals, training programme, experience, injuries etc.)

Please ask away, but please keep this on topic to aid people who will read this thread for information but perhaps not post.

Charlts

Awesome stuff Wardy, great offer dude.

What are your thoughts on increasing high intensity endurance? I currently use a prowler (push and pull), hill sprints and shuttle runs. All I want is the ability to go as close to flat out as possible for 60-90 seconds.

I'm male 115kg, current bf 23%. I'm training for my first novice strongman comp in the summer and that's whee I see my biggest weakness being.

Cheers

Wardy257

Sounds like you are already doing the right thing.  Other things to consider using from time to time:

Megasets of squats - sets or 40-50 with, for you, approx 100kg on the bar.
Complexes - ie T NATION | Rebuild Yourself with Complexes
Kettlebells - something like this T NATION | The 10,000 Swing Kettlebell Workout
Spinning, hear me out on this one, on leg day set a spin bike up at high resistance and cycle seated for 60-90 seconds, rest 1-2 mins and repeat.

With those you are going to have to choose an appropriate weight that is a challenge to your heart, but is still going to work the muscles to an extent too.

Davekale86

Hi wardy I'm a male 5'7 weigh 66kg but have a high metabolism and would love to gain some muscle any ideas? Thanks
Dave

Charlts

Good stuff thanks dude, kb's are on my list for increasing PC strength over the next few months whilst I turn my deadlifting into less of a weakness.

Wardy257

Dave,

Keep it simple at first with multi muscle exercises and concentrate on adding weight to the bar regularly. Something like this will work wonders if done properly.

Monday

Squats 3 x 12 reps
Bench Press 3 x 12 reps
Rows 3 x 12 reps

Wednesday

Squats 3 x 12 reps
Overhead Press 3 x 12 reps
Lat Pull 3 x 12 reps

Friday

Squats 3 x 12 reps
Bench Press 3 x 12 reps
Rows 3 x 12 reps
Bicep Curls 3 x 12 reps
Tricep Pushdown 3 x 12 reps

The essential thing is to keep an accurate written log of all your training which about 95% of gym goers fail do to.  The logging is important so you know what you are going to lift each session.  So if on Friday you managed to bench press 40 kg for all 3 sets of 12 then on the next Monday you need to lift more, 42.5 kg normally and so on  If, for example, you only managed 10 reps on your last set on the Friday then you repeat 40 kg on the Monday.  This is simple progressive overload which works perfectly well for the majority of gym goers and is used effectively by top powerlifters and body builders too.  Try this for 6 -8 weeks then post again with your results.

Also, you have to get the food in so on training days aim for about 3000 calories (healthy!) and non training days around 2500 calories and see how you get on.  If you start gaining fat dial back, if you arent gaining anything (muscle or fat mass) add a bit more.  Log it all.

hmally123

Hi, Wardy
I'm male. 85kg aged 35. I was 105kg feb this year and did keto diet and circuit training for 6 months and went down to 75kg by end of august. Went on holiday in sept and have not done anything since hence my weight gain.

Now I want to get going again in the new year and finish off what I started last year which was to have a athletes body mainly like a footballer.

Could you give advice on nutrition and plans on weight training.

Thanks
H

Wardy257

H,

Sounds like you did too much cardio to me as that what most circuit training is in gyms these days.  Try using the plan I posted for Dave (above) for 6-8 weeks.

Diet wise keep it simple, avoid hi GI carbs, anything processed etc.  Also avoid all the pseudo health foods such as anything labelled as "low fat" such as Activia/Muller yogurts that have little nutrition and lots sugar.
Make sure you are getting enough protein in, approx 1.2 g per kg of lean body mass (your weight minus fat).  This should come from diary products, green veg, fish etc as well as lean meat such as chicken and turkey.  

You can use an app like myfitnesspall for calorie counting or follow the Schofield Equation:

Determination of the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - Schofield equation- Dieting and nutrition tool.

Davekale86

Nice one will give it a go

hmally123

Thanks Wardy, what I do not want, is to get too skinny like when I got to 75kg. So my plan is to stay at my weight now, but look defined. The picture in the link is what I would love to achieve.

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