 In case you didn't know, Protein is a pretty important food group. Therefore I have decided to answer all the major questions people have to help you get better results with your training and eating. If I have not answered everything you need to know about Protein in free series below, comment below the post and let me know. I would love to make sure you have all the information you need to get fit, strong and healthy. Protein is a very important food group but for decades it has been viewed through the lens of bodybuilding and strength. However, in the past few years it is moving into the realm of positivity in the media mainstream. Proteins are made of smaller molecules called amino acids that the quite literally, the building blocks of all life. It’s not a good group you want to be reducing too much. We need these amino acids to facilitate chemical reactions to keep our bodies running and to build our muscles, organs, hair, skin, nails and teeth. Each of you need different amounts but a simple starting point is to get at least 1-2 palm sized portions per meal. Protein is a major part of your body’s cells so it’s a good idea to source the best quality you can which includes lean meats, unprocessed versions, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans. Also, your body can make some of the amino acids but there are 9 of them that it can’t make so it’s even more important to eat them via food. What are your favourite protein foods?  How much protein do we need? Imagine you had a sink with a little pool of water in it. This pool of water is equivalent to your amino acid pool (the amount of broken down protein molecules in your body). Imagine the sink never had a plug and it was constantly emptying. This is similar to the amino acid pool in your body. Your body is constantly making or breaking down protein as needed. We don’t really have a place to store protein like carbs and fats. Therefore we need to eat protein every day as we have to replace those losses. If we didn’t eat protein we would literally start digesting ourselves. This is one reason why very low calorie diets can result in muscle loss because the body has to get protein from somewhere if we don’t give it enough food. It is estimated that a healthy adult needs around 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight each day. Someone who is trying to build muscle or train a lot would need anywhere from 1.2 - 2.4g per kg of body weight per day. Again, I like the simple rule of eating 1-2 palm sized portions of protein per meal per day. I would eat 1 palm sized portion for weight loss and toning and 2 palm sized portions if I liked protein and wanted to add lean muscle. You now know that you need to eat protein every day. What foods could you add to your diet to get enough protein?  When should I eat my protein? Protein should be distributed throughout all your meals each day. Your body can only process and utilise a certain amount of protein at any one time. A lot of people will fast and a lot of people will eat coffee and a banana bread for breakfast and usually go protein heavy for dinner but they are missing out on the benefits of eating protein regularly throughout the day. It’s is not absolutely essential to chug a protein shake straight after a weights session also. Getting enough protein rather than the exact time it is eaten is more important. Eating protein throughout the day is what matters.  What is a high quality protein? A high quality protein contains all the essential amino acids (broken down version of protein and the building blocks of muscles and most cells) for the amounts that we require for our bodies. It may or may not contain all the non-essential amino acids. Generally, foods from animal sources like meat, fish, chicken, cheese, eggs and yoghurt provide high quality proteins. Protein from food sources like vegetables, nuts and seed and grains tend to be limited in one or more essential amino acids which means you simply have to eat a wider variety of them to cover all your bases. It’s recommended that vegetarians or vegans combine two or more different plant protein foods with complimentary amino acid profiles to make sure the body gets all the essential amino acids it needs. You can mix up these proteins throughout the day to achieve this goal. So, now you know why protein is important for weight loss, who it’s important for health, how much and when to eat it. Is there anything else you want to know from this series on Protein?  Should you be drinking shakes? Most dieticians will tell you that if you are meeting your daily protein requirements through your diet you don’t need to take a protein supplement. However, for some people who travel a lot for work, it can be a great alternative if they don’t have healthy protein options available. It’s also great for people who want to build lean muscle and need to consume extra calories but their appetite isn’t huge. A shake can be beneficial in this instance. Whey protein is a very popular type of shake. It is considered to be a “complete protein” (see my earlier posts in the protein series). It is complete because it contains all 9 essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. So if you do need additional protein, it can be a food addition to your diet. It is absorbed really quickly and can help preserve your precious muscle tissue when trying to lose weight or during the natural ageing process. Do you drink a protein shake? If you are looking to lose weight, get fit, more toned and confident, I'm looking for 5 men or women who want to lose between 5-10kg's, and gain strength, definition and tone.
This is a remote, online training program specifically geared towards those of you who don't live in Sydney, or can't get to my studio. Spots are extremely limited and I'm only looking for 2 people who are ready to make a change today. To apply, fill out the form in the link below and I'll be in touch if you meet the requirements: https://bit.ly/3kGzsBM Thank you.
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Why is protein the most important food group to get right when it comes to fat loss and muscle toning? Everyone loves a good discussion about carbs and fats but did you know that many experts believe that it’s the high protein in low carb diets that actually provides the weight loss benefits. Here are 2 reasons why it’s so important to get Protein right. 1️⃣ It helps you eat less without feeling hungry. Why? Research constantly shows that protein makes you feel full for longer and so you eat less and lose weight. This is because it takes longer for the body to break down protein than carbs or fat. Protein also stimulates the release of satiety (fullness) hormones in the gut. As a result, when you eat good protein, you tend to eat less food. 2️⃣ It helps to build and maintain valuable muscle tissue (very important for performance, strength and body shape). Without enough protein, our bodies don’t perform that well. We need proteins to get amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to produce inportant molecules in our bodies like enzymes (which help chemical reactions), neurotransmitters and hormones. If we don’t get enough protein, our bodies will take it from somewhere and this means it can take it from your muscles resulting in muscle loss. This is even more exaggerated when you are eating in a calorie deficit. If you are someone who is training hard and wants to push themselves in the gym, protein is crucial. I recommended that you eat at least one palm sized portion of protein per meal if you want to lose weight and keep your muscle, and 1-2 palm sized portions per meal if you want to build muscle. What is your favourite source of protein? If you are looking to lose weight, get fit, more toned and confident, I'm looking for 5 men or women who want to lose between 5-10kg's, and gain strength, definition and tone.
This is a remote, online training program specifically geared towards those of you who don't live in Sydney, or can't get to my studio. Spots are extremely limited and I'm only looking for 2 people who are ready to make a change today. To apply, fill out the form in the link below and I'll be in touch if you meet the requirements: https://bit.ly/3kGzsBM Thank you.  Will Carbs make me fat? Many of you believe that carbs are uniquely fattening? Let’s explore why and then answer the question. This fear has stemmed from a theory called the “Carbohydrate - Insulin - Hypotheses”. This theory suggests that carbs drive weight gain through their effects on one of our body’s hormones - Insulin. So. You eat carbs. Blood sugar goes up. Your Pancreas releases Insulin. This tells the body to move glucose (sugar) from our blood into our cells and increase storage of fat. Secondly, it prevents the breakdown of stored fats and proteins for energy so we burn “sugars” for fuel. Therefore the idea is that people who eat less carbs will release less insulin and burn more fat than people who don’t. Simples. 😊 However, researchers and scientists decided to test this in a metabolic ward (a sealed chamber) where every last piece of food and movement was measured and no cheating can occur. Each participant ate the same amount of calories and protein and the difference being that one group ate low carbs and the other ate high carbs. Remember. Calories were the same in both groups. If high levels of insulin in our blood, (caused by eating more carbs) promotes fat gain, then lowering carb intake should cause more fat loss as less insulin is released. The studies showed that this was clearly not the case. All the metabolic ward studies show that when calories and protein are matched in numbers, the percentage of carbs in the diet made very little difference to the overall weight loss. In fact, the amount of carbs or fat had little to do with the amount of fat burned, despite the differences of insulin circulating around the people’s bodies. Conclusion. Energy balance (and therefore body weight) is determined by a number of different factors from biological, psychological, and social factors that make weight loss complex. But ultimately, it is calories and not individual food groups that matter more for weight loss. Would you prefer to eat more carbs or more fat? If you are looking to lose weight, get fit, more toned and confident, I'm looking for 5 men or women who want to lose between 5-10kg's, and gain strength, definition and tone.
This is a remote, online training program specifically geared towards those of you who don't live in Sydney, or can't get to my studio. Spots are extremely limited and I'm only looking for 2 people who are ready to make a change today. To apply, fill out the form in the link below and I'll be in touch if you meet the requirements: https://bit.ly/3kGzsBM Thank you.  The age old question that is always debated hotly on the internet.
Should I do more cardio or more weights to lose belly fat? Let’s compare the effects of cardio or weights on belly fat. High levels of stomach fat are associated with many of the detrimental effects of obesity. Diet is the main intervention for weight loss but what are the effects of different types of exercise on subcutaneous belly fat deposits. Note: Subcutaneous fat is the fat just under the skin. The bit you can pinch. See the difference in the second image. The Study: A meta analysis (massive study of many studies) published in 2020, looked at the effects of aerobic exercise, weight training and combined aerobic and weight training on belly fat surface areas. The Results. All of the exercise interventions had a significant effect on subcutaneous belly fat. The aerobic exercise had a weighted mean difference of -13.1 cm2 compared to non exercise participants. The weight training had a mean difference of -5.39 cm2. Combined aerobic and weight training had the best effects resulting in a mean difference fat loss of -28.82 cm2 in subcutaneous belly fat. Moral of the story. Cardio and weights combined produce fantastic results for losing subcutaneous belly fat. If you want to pinch less around your abs, it’s a great idea to combine both training modes into your weekly program. Which option do you prefer doing more of? https://academic.oup.com/advances/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/advances/nmaa090/5893536  Today, I am going to show you a beginner weight training program for weight loss and why I have chosen this method to help you get better results from your time in the gym. A beginner is someone who has either:
First, some theory as to how and why weight training is used for weight loss. Don't skip this as you will miss the most important reason for doing this training. If you really can't be bothered reading the theory, skip to the programs below. Recently (Sept 2020) I completed an up-to-date scientifically backed fitness course that covered weight loss (fat loss) fundamentals. I say fat loss because when it comes to weight loss, we really want fat loss and not muscle loss and I will cover that below. When it comes to weight loss there are two very important components that we can control. We know that Energy In MINUS Energy Out ends up in weight loss. Energy in, includes all the food and drink we consume every day. Energy out covers our daily exercise, our metabolism, the energy cost of eating food and our non-exercise activity like fidgeting and gardening and walking etc. Today we are going to focus on using weight training as a training method for weight loss. QUALITY WEIGHT LOSS - IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SCALE. During the course I learned that research has repeatedly shown that ~30% of weight loss comes from muscle mass. That is, for every kilogram of weight lost, 300g of that weight is our muscle mass. This is critically important for long-term results, as weight reduction that causes a significant loss of muscle tissue is strongly correlated with lowered metabolic rate and energetic cost of exercise, greater appetite and weight regain. We know that when we try to lose weight, and if we lose muscle tissue during weight loss, the body fights against this, it lowers metabolic rate, it lowers the energy burned in an exercise session and it increases your appetite and can cause rapid weight regain. This is why we are interested in quality weight loss. Up until recently, it was weight on the scales that was the only goal of all weight loss programs. However, they are extremely variable. Now we can use DEXA. You can now see where you are pulling from (muscle, bone and fat) from scan to scan to scan. If you want to get a DEXA, I highly recommend www.measureup.com.au The preservation of muscle mass in weight loss is called Quality Weight Loss and the term Body Recomposition refers to the increase in muscle tissue while fat mass decreases . "Quality weight loss is when you hang on to your muscle as you lose body fat. This is what we want." All the best studies showing quality weight loss reveal the same two features:
Therefore, the primary exercise intervention in a fat loss exercise program should be weights because it preserves the lean muscle (body recomposition quality weight loss). I love cardio training and it should absolutely be a major part of your exercise program, but for quality weight loss which leads to a leaner, fitter, more athletic looking and functional body, weight training is a fantastic tool that should take priority. Okay - so how does the beginner weight training program for weight loss work. When you are starting off at the gym you are learning the ropes. You are laying the foundations for harder and harder training down the line. The emphasis is developing baseline muscle strength, balance between limbs, and ‘plugging energy leaks’. This is critically important for a fat loss program because in 6 months your workouts are going to be dead-lifts, push ups, barbell walking lunges, push jerks, chin ups, ab wheel roll outs, repeat 5 times with no rest, and if you have energy leaks such as a weak grip or a weak low back, you cannot do that program. This beginner weight training workout is teaching you how to train so that they you train effectively when you need to. In effect, you are doing the program below to:
TOTAL BODY WORKOUT. This weight training workout for weight loss is a total body workout which you can perform 2-3 times per week. It uses the following principles:
The intention of using weight training for fat loss is to activate the largest amount of muscle tissue and achieve the highest amount of energy expenditure within reason. The Workout. There are two days to the beginner weight training workout for weight loss. You can perform the workouts 3 times per week so it would look like this.
For week two you would then do Day two twice and Day one, once. Alternate like this for 4 weeks and then change the program. Warm Up. A simple warm up is required here. If you are sitting all day in your office or home you can warm up woth 3-5 minutes of easy cardio and then perform 10 repetitions of the first 4 exercises and then get into the workout. You won't be lifting heavy yet so there is no need for a complicated warm up. If the first few exercises require weights, you would warm up with 50% of the weight you would use during the actual workout. For example, if you were going to do the Goblet Squat with a 10kg Kettlebell, you would warm up with 10 reps of a 4-6kg kettlebell or a 5kg dumbbell. If it is a bodyweight exercise like push ups, you could warm up with 10 reps at an easy incline angle. How Do I Know How Much Weight To Lift? This is a big question but lucky for you I have written an entire article to help you choose the best weights for your workout. Check it out here. Day 1 - Beginner Weight Training Workout For Weight Loss. Above, is Day 1 of a the beginner weight training workout to help with weight loss. Here are some tips to perform the workout. 1️⃣. Perform the exercises in pairs. For example. Perform 15-20 Reps of A1. Take no rest. Perform 15-20 Reps of A2. Rest for 60 secs and repeat for 2 more rounds. 2️⃣. Do the same for the other pairs of exercises. This is a high rep routine. It ends up being 450-600 Reps. It burns a lot of calories and will prevent muscle loss if you are dieting. Day 2 - Beginner Weight Training Workout For Weight Loss. Above is day two of the beginner weight training workout for weight loss. Make sure you take at least one rest day between every weight training day. You can do cardio on the day in between or rest. In Summary:
If you have any questions, comment below. Please enjoy the beginner weight training program for weight loss. If you are looking to lose weight, get fit, more toned and confident, I'm looking for 5 men or women who want to lose between 5-10kg's, and gain strength, definition and tone.
This is a remote, online training program specifically geared towards those of you who don't live in Sydney, or can't get to my studio. Spots are extremely limited and I'm only looking for 2 people who are ready to make a change today. To apply, fill out the form in the link below and I'll be in touch if you meet the requirements: https://bit.ly/3kGzsBM Thank you.  How do I know how much weight to lift at the gym? You have just signed up to the new shiny, fancy gym. You have your gym card, your new gym clothes and you are excited to go. You want to lose weight and tone up and you have your program from your fitness magazine but when you get to the gym you realise you have no idea how much weight to lift. Selecting the right weight is something that is tricky and many people struggle with it. In this article (and the video above if you prefer listening to my sweet dulcet tones) I will highlight some of the easiest ways for you to know how much weight to lift at the gym. EQUIPMENT. I understand that machines, free weights and bodyweight are all different but I am going to provide principles here that you will easily understand no matter what gym or program you are going to do. Principle Number 1: Pick a weight that falls within your repetition range. The easiest way to know much much weight to lift is to first look at the number of repetitions that each exercise is asking you to do in your training program. A repetition (REP) is a performance of one movement of an exercise. For example, one bodyweight squat is one REP and one push up is one REP. When you perform a number of REPS, this equals one set. Let's look at a few examples of repetitions and use a real world example. Let's say your exercise asks you to do:
Your first goal is to pick a weight that you can perform in that rep range. You may pick up a weight and you can only perform 8 repetitions of the exercise. That means you have picked a weight that is too heavy. You now know that you need to decrease this weight in order to get into the 10-12 rep range with good technique otherwise you won't get the results you want from the training program. You may pick up a weight and you can do 13 or more repetitions. This means that the weight is too light and you have to lift a heavier one for the next set. (Sometimes this method is good but we will cover that later in the article). Having 2-3 sets allows you to experiment and choose the correct weight for that exercise. You will get better at this with experience and you will pick your correct weights much faster. HOW DO I PROGRESS THIS WEIGHT WEEK TO WEEK? Okay, so you have picked your weight and it falls in the correct range. You now want to get stronger every week. This is called Progressive Overload and it is an important training principle. Your body cannot adapt if you don't ask it to so it's imperative that you challenge yourself from week to week or month to month to get the results you want. When you have a repetition range like 10-12 reps, your first goal is to get to the top number, (12) for 3 perfect sets. Then you can increase the weight. Let's say your exercise is the Barbell Bench Press for 3 sets of 10-12 reps. It may look something like this:
In terms of how much you should increase the weight, the American Council Of Sports Medicine recommends no more than 2 - 10% increase in weight each week. This will differ from exercise to exercise so you will learn by trial and error. Important Point - this is a great time to highlight the need for you to track your weights from workout to workout. I do it for all my clients with face to face training and online coaching.  By tracking your weight lifted from workout to workout you can achieve your goals faster as you are not guessing. You will get stronger, more toned and defined and increase your motivation when you know how much weight to lift each week. Sometimes your exercise will look something like this:
Now you have a very specific repetition number which is harder to pick a weight for. But the same principles apply. First of all you pick a weight and see how many repetitions you can do. If you fall under the 10 reps, it's too heavy, if you can do a lot more than 10 reps it is too light. Try to hit that sweet spot of 10 reps. However, there are a few ways to now progress this weight each workout. The Rule of 2. "Aim for 2 high quality reps above the number before increasing the weight." When you have a specific rep number, it is a good idea to be able to perform 2 more reps of the highest quality before increasing the weight. This means you can get to 10 reps but also perform 2 more reps with excellent technique. You should not be gyrating all over the gym floor trying to complete your 2 extra reps. For example: Let's say we have the Barbell Bench Press for 4 Sets of 10 Reps. It may look like this.
The reason I say the 2 quality reps above the number is because of the incremental nature of many weights in gyms. Sometimes the increases in weights, especially dumbbells, can be more than the recommended 2-10% increase from week to week so it's important to perform quality reps above the specific rep number before increasing the weight otherwise you will underperform and as a result you'll think you are not getting stronger when indeed you are. Principle Number 2: Technique Over Ego. If you want to progress with weights to get stronger, more toned and athletic, it's important that you practice perfect technique with every repetition of your exercises. You can also increase the risk of injury when you try to lift too heavy too soon. Do not be worried if your starting weights are lighter than the experienced gym-goer. The amount of weight you lift is only one indicator of how hard you are working. Everyone has different strength levels and all that matters is the amount of tension and effort you apply to your body. Always take the conservative approach and start lighter and build up to heavier weights. This will build your confidence and ability and prepare your body correctly to lift heavier weights down the line. Remember this: It is far more challenging to lift weights with proper technique on every single rep than it is to perform heavier weights poorly. Principle Number 3 - Reps in Reserve. This principle is based on you asking yourself the question: "How many extra reps could I do at the end of my set (if any)?" When you perform the last set of every exercise in your program ask yourself how many more reps you could have performed with good technique. In the real world, it will look like this.
Personally, I would stick with options one and two. In summary, to learn how much weight to lift you must:
You are ready to increase the weight:
I know that was a fairly lengthy summary but these principles can help you get quicker results with your training and help you see improvements in strength, fitness and fat loss. If you have any questions, please comment below or email john@humandesign.com.au and I will reply. Thanks for reading this far. Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.
1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos. 2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my TRUECOACH online platform. Check it out here 3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people) Small Group Coaching. 4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney. My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney. Check out my Personal Training Options here: I don't know your situation with fitness and training but it seems that many people have added a few wee sneaky pounds of weight to their frame during Covid-19. As a result, you may want to lose a few pounds, regain your fitness and get back into the groove of training. This "Back to the gym fat loss workout plan" is a simple but very effective fat loss plan that will get you started again in the gym without going overboard and getting injured. The goal is to ease your way back into training but also burn a lot of calories in the mean time. You will work with the plan for over 4 weeks and you will notice a big difference in your mindset, fitness and strength. I have posted the videos below of the workouts. If you are planning a week of training it could look like this. 4 Day Training Week.
5 Day Training Week.
See the workouts below. Warm up for the weights exercises by doing 10-12 reps of the first 4 exercises with 50% of the weight that you will use during the working set. Day 1 Weights. Cardio Interval Program Day 2 Weights. Day 2 CARDIO. When you perform these workouts, start recording what weights you are lifting and how much distance or time it takes to do the cardio. You can then go to the gym each week with a purpose. You will be more motivated to train better because you will have a goal for each session and that goal is to progress your fitness in any shape or form. It could be progressed by doing 1 more rep on the weights exercises, adding slightly more weight, covering more distance quicker in the cardio. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you progress and get fitter every week. Watch you mental fitness and physical fitness grow over the weeks. Let me know if you try the workout plan and I would love to know how you got on. Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off. 1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos. 2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform. Check it out here 3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people) Small Group Coaching. 4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney. Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney. Check out our Personal Training Options here:  This Piece Of Gym Equipment Works Almost Every Muscle In Your Body. If you need a time-efficient total body workout, look no further than the rower. Rowing activates multiple muscle groups. Think legs, back, shoulder, chest, arms (etc) which roughly equates to 85 percent of the muscles in our bodies. Benefits Of Rowing. Not only does the rower work almost every muscle of your body but it is also:
Here are two examples of time-efficient fitness workouts that can be performed on the rower. 1. Multi Duration Sprint Interval Workout. https://lnkd.in/gzavHSs 2. Pyramid Training Rower Workout https://lnkd.in/gGKmtmM Do each workout once per week for a fast improvement in fitness and it will help mobilize fat to start the weight loss process. Enjoy the workouts. Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.
1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos. 2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform. Check it out here 3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people) Small Group Coaching. 4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney. Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney. Check out our Personal Training Options here:  Your Ultimate Push Up Guide: How To Get To Your First Push Up Step By Step. The Push-Up is a full body exercise. It has huge adaptability to be used in a number of situations and promotes good upper body and core strength while teaching body awareness. When performed with precision, it can be a very challenging exercise, promoting strength in the shoulders, chest, triceps, and the core. It also promotes good body awareness and body alignment. However it is performed with a number of common faults so the effectiveness of the exercise is diminished so let’s take a look at the set up and execution of the exercise. Therefore, the aim of this Ultimate Push-UP Guide is to take you right from the very beginning and build up your strength tp master the push-up. You'll no longer stare in awe at the lady in the gym who can rock out 10 Push-Ups on her toes or the fit dude who can bust out 20 for a warm up without breaking a sweat. It's time to GET TO YOUR FIRST PUSH-UP. This Ultimate Push-Up guide takes you through 6 levels. There is a video demonstration for every level. Watch the video for each level before performing the Push-Up variation.
Let's go. Level 1 - PUSH-UP ISO HOLD This is a Push-Up regression that builds straight arm strength, conditioning the wrists, elbows and shoulders while teaching good body alignment.
GOAL: You need to hold this PUSH UP ISO HOLD for 1 Minute before progressing to level 2 of the Push-Up guide. Level 2 - Band Assisted Incline Push Up. This is a Push-Up regression. A number of tools are used here to help you build up your strength and improve your technique for the Push-Up. The band helps to de-load the bodyweight at the most difficult portion of the exercise. The bar helps to reduce the moment arm to the shoulder, therefore making it easier to press back up.
GOAL: You must perform 15 perfect Push-Ups before reducing the height of the bar or using a thinner resistance band. Do not compromise form on this version of the Push-Up as you will cheat later on. Level 3 - Incline Push Up This is a progression from the Incline Band Assisted Push-Up as you now have to control your full bodyweight at the bottom of the motion.
To progress this exercise you can:
GOAL: Perform 15 perfect reps before moving to level 4. Aim to get the bar as low as possible until you can't perform the exercise with perfect form. It's then time to move to level 4. LEVEL 4 - Band Assisted Eccentric Push-Up. When you remove the bar, you are in the full push up position. The eccentric loading (lowering part of the push-up) allows you to control the bodyweight when you are at your strongest and the band allows you to reload the bodyweight in the most difficult portion of the exercise. You can manipulate variables such as the band tension, the time taken to lower into the exercise and the number of reps to suit your level of ability.
Progress by doing more eccentric reps, reducing the tension on the band, or doing slower reps and doing a greater range of motion. GOAL: Perform 15 perfect reps of this push-up variation before moving to level 5. LEVEL 5 - Eccentric Push Up. This is a progression from the Banded Eccentric Push-Up. Now you can load the bodyweight the whole way down. Control and technical execution are paramount during this movement. Ensure full body alignment is maintained and the shoulders do not move forward. You can micro progress this by increasing the reps or the time of the eccentric portion (lowering portion).
GOAL: Perform 15 perfect reps before going to the last level of the Push-Up Guide. LEVEL 6 - Your First Full Push-Up Okay. If you have followed the Ultimate Push Up Guide, you have arrived at the last exercise. Congratulations to you. By now you will understand how to hold full body tension the entire way through the movement and you will have built up strength in your wrists, elbows, core and shoulders. You are now ready to try your first full Push-Up. A quick refresher on Push-Up Technique. 1. Hand Placement: People will vary but the hands should generally be placed under the shoulders. You can move 1 inch outside the shoulder if you want. Going too wide allows less range of motion but it can put the shoulder in a disadvantaged position, increasing the risk of injury. 2. Elbow Position: Elbow position will largely dictate the shoulder position. If no tension is created within the hands the elbows will flare out to 90 degs which internally rotates the shoulder, potentially increasing the risk of niggling shoulder injuries. Think of the hands in a Push-Up like the feet in squat. We need to be able to corkscrew the hands into the floor in order to create tension in the shoulder. Corkscrewing the hands allows the shoulders to externally rotate placing the elbows at a roughly 45 deg angle placing the shoulder in a safer position and providing a platform from which to press from. 3. Body Alignment: The Push-Up can be considered as a moving plank. This is due to the body alignment and tension created.
4. The Eccentric Portion: (Lowering Portion)
5. Finishing the movement: After maintaining full body tension and performing an explosive lift - finish the movement by pushing the ground away. GOAL: 1 FULL PUSH UP. BOOM. I would be so happy if you follow this Ultimate Push-Up Guide and finally learn how to do your first Push-Up. If you do improve your technique or achieve this goal, please comment below and let me know. I would love to see your progress. If you enjoyed this Ultimate Push-Up Guide and you got value from it, please copy the link in the browser and share it around to help others. It can be very frustrating when you really want to do this movement and hopefully these videos help. Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.
1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos. 2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform. Check it out here 3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people) Small Group Coaching. 4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney. Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney. Check out our Personal Training Options here:  How To Master The Split Squat. Build your fitness, body, and strength from the ground up. Over the next several weeks I will show you how to progress through all the popular movements and exercises you perform at the gym. The one advantage of being stuck at home is that you can work your way through and refine your technique for many of the common exercises that you perform at the gym. With the explosion of HIIT and groups, many of you are doing advanced versions of basic exercises without ever having received proper instruction from the ground up. I see it all over exercise videos. People are doing exercises like the Split Squat without mastering the basics first. In this series of videos, starting with the split squat movement pattern, you will learn where to start and how to progress and how to get stronger with every movement. This first exercise pattern, the split squat, is a foundational movement for true single leg work like the lunge and step up. Make sure you can do the exercises in the right order before moving to advanced versions. This is a step by step guide to really mastering the Split Squat exercise. No matter what level of training or fitness you are at, you will learn something from this video series. Follow the instructions below and progress through the split squat levels and challenge yourself to be perfect with every repetition of the exercise. SPLIT SQUAT 1 - TRX ASSISTED SPLIT SQUAT. Follow the instructions in the video to master level 1. Once you can perform 15 perfect repetitions on each leg, move to level 2. SPLIT SQUAT 2: BAND ASSISTED SPLIT SQUAT Now we move to our level 2 Split Squat progression. This will be very similar to Level 1 so it may be too easy for you. Once again, when you can perform 15 perfect repetitions on each leg, move to the level 3 version. SPLIT SQUAT 3 - THE BODYWEIGHT SPLIT SQUAT. Now we are on to the full Bodyweight Split Squat. You should be able to perform 15 reps of the previous two versions without collapsing your knees inwards, without falling forward and without tilting your upper body side to side. Once you can perform 15 repetitions of the Bodyweight split squat on each leg, you can progress the exercise by:
Once you can do 10-15 repetitions on both legs with weight, you can move to level 4. SPLIT SQUAT 4 - FRONT FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT Here is the level 4 version which requires a bit more mobility, stability and strength. Once again, when you have mastered the bodyweight version, you can progress this version of the split squat in numerous ways. You can:
There are endless versions of this exercise that will keep your challenged for months. SPLIT SQUAT 5 - REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT AKA BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT. Now we come to our final and most difficult version of the split squat. The Rear foot elevated split squat. This definitely requires a little more stability and mobility as well as a good base of foundational strength from the other options. When you master the bodyweight versions, you can increase the difficulty by:
There you have it. That was the complete, step by step guide to mastering the Split Squat. I am sure there are versions I may have missed as new versions of exercises come out all the time. But if you take the time to master the progressions of the split squat, you will be able to perform even more advanced versions when the time comes. You will build up good balance, mobility, functional strength and hopefully prevent injury by going through the progressions above. I hope it helped. Send me an email if you have any questions or leave a comment below. Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.
1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos. 2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform. Check it out here 3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people) Small Group Coaching. 4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney. Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney. Check out our Personal Training Options here: |
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