WMSC Training

It’s so tempting to want to do everything at once, thinking that with just a few weeks of the perfect programme you’ll be a bigger, stronger, leaner, more mobile, more explosive, fitter version of who you are now. I’ve been there, and let me tell you it’s not that easy.

You start with wanting to get strong so you do 5 sets of 5

But you want to make sure you get enough volume to gain size, so you do a bunch of backoff sets too

Make sure you're resting long enough, too

And you want to be more explosive so actually you’ll do some plyometrics first

And you want to be more mobile so maybe you’ll start with some foam rolling and stretching

Don’t forget a proper warm up to prevent injuries

To get a bit leaner you’ll throw in some conditioning at the end of the session

But before that you throw in some weakpoint training to work on your grip strength

..And before you know it you’ve been in the gym for 3.5 hours, you’ve missed your lunch date and you’ve got 71 WhatsApp messages from the group chat.

Take my advice, set one goal at a time, do just enough to prevent everything else from regressing, and once you’ve achieved it you can work on something else.

A good coach will take care of each goal separately, letting everything else simmer away in the background so that over time you will achieve everything you want.

Not sure where to start? Struggling with what to prioritise? DM me, and let's see if I can help.

Progress is almost never linear or straightforward, and in the rare cases that it is, it doesn't last like that for very long.

In your training, there will be ups, downs, deloads, nights of poor sleep, unexpected PBs, and everything in between.

Most stock programmes don't account for these fluctuations and just tell you to add weight every workout, regardless of other lifestyle factors, and if you're lucky your programme might include a deload every few weeks, regardless of it it's too early or late for you to need one.

This totally ignores the fact that everyone's performance will fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, and the same rate of progression can't be assigned to all people at every level of training.

It happens all too often that you have a bad session or two because of life stress, you can't complete the programme as written, get demotivated and often just give up.

This is where having your own coach and programme really comes out on top.

Not only will your programme be optimised for your training level, preferences, schedule, equipment availability, but it can easily be altered based on a poor lifting session or a week of less-than ideal training.

Instead, it can evolve, ebb and flow, and adapt to you, regardless of what life throws at you.

If you've had enough of cookie-cutter programmes not really cutting it for you, then it's time you get yourself a programme written by someone who knows exactly what they're doing, and written just for you.

A gym programme that takes longer than you have available is the worst kind of programme in the world.

First of all, you never finish the workouts so you never get the full benefit from it.

Second, you have this lingering sense of guilt because you didn't finish it.

Third, instead of just switching to one that you can fit into your life, you stick with that programme that doesn't fit your life and isn't working for far, far longer than you should.

The answer should be obvious: find a new programme.

Whether you want to build strength, gain muscle, improve sports performance or train for general health, there is ALWAYS a programme that you can perform fully in the time you have available.

In fact, I'll be releasing something like that very soon.

It's a programme to improve strength & performance, and help you lose fat, all without marathon gym sessions and taking over your social life. I'm looking for a small group of guys to help test it out some more, and work with me to make the programme even better. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, comment or DM the word 'coach' and I'll reach out with more information.

Not quite right for you, but think you might know someone else who you think this would suit? Share this post with a friend, and you’ll get a reward when they get in touch 👀👀

I've been working on my squat depth for quite a few months, and I think it's going pretty well.

I am cursed with naturally terrible ankle mobility and long thighs, which is a recipe for very high, very bent-over squats.

Over the past 6 months or so, with some targeted mobility, consistent stretching, and complimentary exercises I've been able to squat much, much lower.

It's actually the same process as getting stronger, building muscle, or losing fat.

1. Identify the problem
2. Find the underlying cause
3. Utilise targeted methods to improve it
4. ?????
5. Profit!!
(Okay, those last 2 may not be relevant.)

They key is knowing where the problem is, how to fix it, and matching a method to a person at a given time.

Whether you want to improve mobility, get stronger, build muscle, lose fat, recover from or prevent injuries, it's the exact same process. Every. Single. Time.

You may not know exactly what the cause is, or how to fix it, but that's where a coach comes in.

Someone who's job it is to work with you to find the gaps and help you fill them in so that you can get to your goal faster, more simply, and with less hassle and struggle.

This is the process that I use in all of my programmes, and that I think I've perfected in a system that I'll be releasing soon. It's designed to improve strength, help you lose fat, without marathon gym sessions, taking over your social life or making you feel stiff as a board.

I need a small group of guys to help me test it out, provide me with some outside feedback, and help the system be as good as it can be. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, comment or DM the word 'coach' and I'll reach out with more information.

Not for you, but think you might know someone else who you think this would suit? Share this post with a friend, and I'll send you a free 4-week training block when they get on the programme.

Look, I hate cardio. I have consistently done cardio for cardio's sake a grand total of two times in my life. I hate cardio more than I like the idea of getting to a goal, so I don't do cardio - it's as simple as that.
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Constantly, I'll hear people complaining about doing cardio because they "have to". Unless you're competing in a sport where you need to do a tonne of aerobic activity, you don't have to do cardio.
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Most of these people are guys in their late 20s/early 30s, just looking to make some good progress in the gym, gain some size and get a bit leaner, and while cardio can certainly help with that goal, it is by no means essential, and I've got myself and others stronger, bigger, and leaner without doing a step of cardio.
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I'm going to be releasing a programme to do just that soon, and I need a small group of guys to help test it out before I unleash it on everyone else. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, comment below or DM me with the word 'coach' and I'll reach out to you with some more information.

FIBRE: WHAT IS IT, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Fibre is a macronutrient, found in the cell walls of plants that has a whole host of functions and benefits to the body. There are two types of fibre: insoluble, which is not digestible by the body, and soluble which can be digested by the body. They both play important roles in the body and must be discussed individually.

Insoluble fibre cannot be digested by the body and is incredibly important for removing waste from the body through the digestive system. Soluble fibre can be broken down, absorbed, and digested by the body and acts more like a carbohydrate than insoluble fibre.

Higher fibre intakes have been associated with many improved health outcomes, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and a lower chance of developing some cancers, primarily bowel cancer. Consuming 35g fibre/day has been shown to be associated with a lower all-cause mortality, too.

On top of these, fibre is very satiating (meaning it’s very filling) and its thermogenic (meaning the body expends a lot of energy to process it). These two effects combined mean that you’re likely to eat fewer calories and expend more calories if you eat more fibre. Win-win!

The best sources of fibre are vegetables, fruit (especially the skin on apples, pears, kiwis), grains (wholemeal rice, pasta), legumes and beans.
Wher
The current recommended intake of fibre in the UK is 30g/day, and the evidence seems to suggest that the more you eat, the better the effects on health, gut microbiome etc. However, if you go too high you could experience some GI distress, so be careful not to totally overdo it with fibre.



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TRAINING INTENSITY: HOW HEAVY IS ‘TOO HEAVY’? HOW LIGHT IS ‘TOO LIGHT’?

The Intensity (% 1RM) you train at is highly dependent on your goal, and the answer will be very different if your focus is to build muscle or to gain strength - I’ll discuss both in this post. When I talk about building muscle, I’m looking at what causes a hypertrophic response, and when I talk about building strength, I’ll be focusing on improving a 1RM in a certain lift, usually the Squat/Bench/Deadlift.

For hypertrophy, you can train at a wide range of intensities and see similar results in the amount of muscle built on a per-set/per-session basis. Studies have shown equivocal improvements in muscle size with weights as light as 30% 1RM and as heavy as 90% 1RM. As long as the sets are taken to failure, there is almost no difference (in theory) between a set at 30% 1RM and a set at 85% 1RM. However, there are big differences when putting this into practice.

A set at 30% to failure could be up to 50 reps, take well over a minute to complete, will be incredibly painful, and you may give up before true failure because of the level of discomfort (and boredom). In contrast, a set to failure at 85% will only be about 5 reps, but your form may suffer because of the heavy weight, and taking a weight this heavy to failure without spotters can be risky. Then we have exercise differences to consider – 85% 1RM Barbell Curl? My elbows say no. 30% Front Squat taken to failure? No thanks, I’d rather not pass out in the middle of a set.

For strength, your training has to be specific to the task: a similar movement pattern and similar weights. If you want to improve your 1RM, training below 80% probably won’t carry over well to max effort attempts. However, there is value in lighter work – it’s less stressful, it will help build muscle, and can help dial in technique for the heavier lifts.



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FAT: WHAT IS IT, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Fat is an essential macronutrient (macro) that serves many functions in the body. It is needed to absorb certain fat-soluble vitamins, namely the vitamins A, D, E and K. It also supplies the body with fatty acids that the body requires, omega 3, 6 and 9, plays a vital function in hormone production, and simply acts as an energy source for the body during lower intensity activities.

Not consuming enough fat in your diet can cause vitamin deficiencies (even if you’re getting enough of those nutrients) leading to low energy, issues with reproductive health, and health problems like depression. While fat isn’t as filling as protein or carbohydrate, it can help provide signals of fullness to the body that it won’t get with inadequate fat intake.

There are excellent sources of fat from both plants and animal food. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are very high in omega 3s, and fats from plants like nuts, vegetable oil, and avocados are high in unsaturated fats. Animal fats in dairy, meat, and eggs are higher in saturated fat, which should be limited in your diet (more on these in a later post!). Plant sources of fats tend to also have fibre in them, which makes nuts, avocados and seeds a particularly useful inclusion in your diet.

The UK recommended intake of fat is a maximum of 30% of daily calories – if you’re eating 2000kcal per day, then that would equate to ~650 calories from fat, or 72/73g of fat (each gram of fat contains 9 calories).

Don’t forget – fat is VERY tasty, and whether you eat more or less fat (under the recommended limit) will largely depend on your taste and food preferences.



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