Back & Shoulders

Tough session tonight, back and shoulders are one hell of a combination to maintain 100% intensity but we managed it, as we approach the show the muscle group combos will change to accommodate increased sets, exercises and days. Really getting fired up for next May which really isn't that far away.

Legs

My training partner and I (Sean Matthews) decided to step up (excuse the pun) the leg training today, we added more sets and more weight. The consequences were two supposed adults, one in his 40's and one in his 50's resembling break dancers from Michael Jacksons Thriller when the zombies appear! Wobbling back to the van wasn't fun either!
In a masochistic way we both enjoyed the infliction of pain and lactic acid build up to our quads and hams; we know what needs doing for next year and are prepared to put the work in to achieve a win early next May, make no mistake we're in it to win it, nothing else will do.

Progress

I see them all the time, people in gyms that physically look the same year in year out, perhaps you're one of those? You believe you're training really hard, the sweat on your training top confirms that, you believe your diet is reasonably good and in the beginning many years ago you made good progress, not any more though, why?
Frustratingly you have remained the same but you persevere in the hope that the next new protein powder will do the trick, sound familiar?
My greatest gains and my clients greatest gains have always come from the time we have had a purpose, a goal so to speak. Having a purpose refocuses ones psych which in turn creates mental and physiological changes, your "purpose" literally bosses your body into adapting to its newly discovered demands, this adaptation forms the basis of your new look and attitude.
Write down what it is you would like to achieve or look like, then plan a road map toward your desire, put a realistic time scale on it and then and only then action your plan, you'll be surprised at the results, some of which will be remarkable.
TRAIN WITH PURPOSE

My Clients

My clients are all the motivation I need to keep training hard, to extend my knowledge in nutrition and training and to compete to win. I just love the way they apply themselves beyond what they originally thought possible and are achieving greater results than they ever expected. Foundational to all this is their attitude, my aim is to instill self belief first and foremost, they have to believe they can can achieve, secondly we goal set, aiming at something is the best way to progress and finally we get to work, action is the only way to apply your beliefs and achieve your goals. To be part of this ever growing Team / Family drop me line at info@therenzoeffect.com or take a look at www.therenzoeffect.com.

Leg Training

Leg day today - went well but a long way to go yet, Sean Matthews and I started on unfamiliar ground with Front Squats 3 sets of 15 reps which I found particularly difficult, I think this will take some get used to but we must persevere. We followed this with leg extensions 3 sets of 20 reps, followed leg press 3 sets of 20 reps, followed leg curls 3sets of 20 reps and finally hamstring dead lifts 2 sets of 15 reps. Nice hello for the legs, things can only get better, I think that was Tony Blair's strap line once!

7lbs by Christmas

Those of you that are following my daily blog will be aware that I'm competing next May, in the meantime I have set myself a tough ask by attempting to gain a further 7lbs of muscle before I begin dieting in January. This will mean changes in my diet and training, my protein intake will increase with the addition of amino acids and creatine and my training will take on an even greater intensity than I already do.

Training update.

With 235 days to go my training and nutrition are slowly creeping up in intensity, I'm experimenting with different foods and supplements and checking how my body reacts to these changes just so that I get it right from January. I'm also incorporating cardio 3 mornings a weeks for around 30 minutes just to keep fat levels in check. Training tonight was Calves, Shoulders and Back (in that order) which was completed in under an hour, pretty intense stuff.

What's the Skinney on Fat

Saturated fat has over the years been labelled as the big baddy in nutritional terms and its effects on increased cholesterol and heart disease and of course the giants of business have cashed in on this with a multitude of low fat foods and spreads which are loaded with sugars and chemicals.
But is saturated fat the real culprit here? There is in fact very little evidence of Saturated Fat being the cause of weight gain and heart disease and studies show that fatty acids are very important in maintaining cell membrane integrity, the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K and for the production of many hormones.

Further evidence shows that Fat isn't really the baddy in relation to heart disease and (LDL) Cholesterol the culprit was found to be high glycemic carbohydrates. The study covered 2 groups, one which consumed High Fat /Low carb diet and the other a High Carb / Low fat diet, the results where quite startling. The group that consumed the high Carbohydrate / low fat diet displayed an increased risk of heart disease of 33%!!

Further evidence taken from 41 European countries showed that France which had the highest Saturated fat intake (16% of their diet) had the lowest incidence of heart disease which in stark contrast compared to Bosnia who's saturated fat intake is only 4% had in fact the highest incidence of heart disease.

I often advocate high fat, high protein, low carbohydrates to many of my clients who choose to shed pounds of unwanted fat and of course I practice what I preach, my diet for next years Mr Wales will consist of a high ratio of Fats and proteins with minimal carbohydrates.

Ref; Jakobsen, M. U., Dethlefsen, C., Joensen, A. M., et al. (2010). Intake of carbohydrates compared with intake of saturated fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction: importance of the glycemic index. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, 1764-8.

European cardiovascular disease statistics (2008 edition). British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group Department of Public Health, University of Oxford and Health Economics Research Centre, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford.

Change your Body

What will cause the fastest measurable change to your body....1/ training?....2/ Nutrition?....3/ Supplements?.....4/ Or all 3?
I'm often questioned about supplements and why I always advocate their use in my client nutritional programmes, well the answer is in the first sentence of this blog.
Please don't misunderstand me, exercise and nutrition are key to achieving great results but supplements can cause changes in minutes, for example Caffeine's effects can be felt very quickly and many pre-workout formulas are designed for this very reason. Creatine is another example of a supplement that may only take a few days for your body composition to change and finally supplements are an insurance policy to ensure you get the the nutrients your body deserves because the nutrients in food alone cannot be guaranteed.

236 Days.......

With 236 days to go before I step on stage for the first time in 22 years, everything is going to plan. Follow my daily and weekly updates on my journey to the NABBA Mr Wales 2014.