SportsShoes Blog

I was asked today exactly what “compound exercises” are when weightlifting as i talk about their importance quite alot with fellow colleagues at work.

A Compound exercise works several muscle groups at once, and includes movements around two or more joints at the same time. For example a bench press is a compound exercise because when you are performing the exercise you are primarily using your chest but it uses secondary muscles to stabilize it, such as the triceps and shoulders.

Same theory behind deadlifts. These are ”compound exercises” because you are primarily using your lower back but also pulls in muscles from your legs and forearms.

I use compound exercises a lot as i feel i get a much better workout than doing all isolation exercises. Ultimately you build muscle depending on how much testosterone is created and doing “compound exercises” creates a lot more testosterone than performing isolation moves…hence, building muscle faster.

Also, i want to strip fat from my weight training sessions as well as put on muscle and when I am doing exercises such as deadlifts the sweat just pours off me and i feel great!  

If you are unsure a quick checklist of compound exercises are:

Bench press, Deadlift, Barbell Squat, Deadlift, Lunges, Row, Push-Up, Dips, Bench Press, Military Press, Hang Clean and Press.

The simple rule is that you use compound exercises as the core of your workout and isolation exercises to “fine tune”.

I found this video on how to perform a correct bench press … one of my favourite compound exercises!

Enjoy!

Well, it has almost been a week now i have been off training with a niggling cold. Really wanna go hard but feel like i am jinxed now!!!

I joined the gym, after one week i did my back, came back from that for one session then got a really bad cold… DOH!!!

Oh well, gunna try and balance it a bit better now so i don’t run myself down.

j.

Oh dear.

I joined a my new gym about a week ago and it was going great until this morning. Doing my normal chest flyes ( normal 26’s), and that annoying, niggling muscle has gone again in my back! So, had to cut my training short. Hope it is only a short lived problem though, hopefully will be back in a couple of days.

Think i may start back with some cardio anyway as thinking i am quickly slipping into comfort food teritory after holiday, need to stop that asap!

J

Just a quick question to throw out there …

I have recently just joined an outside gym ( as the gym i use in my buiding has run its course). This out side gym is an independant gym and hence a bit smaller than the larger chains but is considerably cheaper.

I was wondering how much everyone pays for gym membership? I enquired at a large chain earlier this week and they quoted me £50 a month and a £30-£50 joining fee. Surely this is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE???

The one i joind was £85 for 3 months which works out about £28 a month which i think is very reasonable. Just interested how much these gyms can charge up to.

Anyway, was there at 7.00am this morning, me and one other person. Huge deadlifts … loved it.

J.

Afternoon everyone.

Well, i’m back on the blog. I have had my holiday now and you know what? I was actually quite happy with the results. I was a lot leaner and more defined. However, it all went wrong quite quickly. This was due to the fact we ate out every lunch and evening and ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING was served with chips, not just a portion, but a bucket load and i was never one to leave food. It was always drummed into me to eat all my main course! So the six pack started to disappear quite quickly. Not just blaming the food but the hot weather really make you crave a cold lager as well and we all know the claorie content of those bad boys!

Anyway back now and feel like i want to find my next challenge. I have just been reading about the Mens Health cover model challenge and all the contestants etc. Now, this is something i have always talked about but never had the discipline to do. I think now though that it may be something i would like to try and aim for, the only thing is that at the moment i am training in a small under-equipped gym so am looking into joining a large gym again and then i can see where i could go with it.

Untill then, i am watching what i am eating again and going regularly to the little gym. Off tonight for a shoulder workout.

J.

Right everyone …

Panic is setting in, i go on holiday in 2 days!!! eek!!! i think i’m in not bad shape but could always be better…

Just decided that tonight i’m going to challenge myself and do the “300″  cast devised a workout and kept on challenging themselves to see how quick they could do it.

This is what i am going to do …

a) Pullups - 25 reps

b) Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps

c) Pushups - 50 reps

d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps

e) Floor wipers - 50 reps

f) Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps

g) Pullups - 25 reps

i’m a bit nervous. You obviously aren’t supposed to do it everyday but is a once off thing occasionally to test yourself.

james

I’m just going to write a quick post today on how to perform a deadlift correctly. When i look around the gym i see so many people doing it incorrectly and always want to tell them how to do it but i’m not one of those people … you know the kind, the guy who is pure beef who feels it is his mission to tell you every exercise you are performing wrong. First time you see it as helpful but after a while it’s like “dude, leave me alone!”.

Anyway, here is a good video i found which may help with your deadlift form:

I did these this morning, feel great!

James

Right, i have 2 weeks to go now. Really pushing it , I may even be overdoing it but still back and biceps tonight. I was thinking last night how i would be really annoyed if i put all this work in and i get my holiday pictures back and i’m really not happy with my shape. I know there are more things to life but hey ho!

Also, someone yesterday asked me if i will still keep in shape after my holiday. It did kind of make me think. For the past few years i really have made the gym a high priority but do feel like now that after this holiday i will have to calm it down. I think i will just try and find a workout that involves only 3 days a week weights and just keep my body at the level it is now.

Also, I will try and get some pics up on here as some of have requested so you all can see if the hard work has paid off.

last of all… anyone excited about the olympics? I am … Think i may get grief from my girlfriend though!

james 

Morning,

Someone over the weekend asked me why i was desperate to get in shape for holiday even though i was going away with my girlfriend. I did see their point but i said it wasn’t for her, it was purely for me. I want to be confident when i am around the pool and walking around topless for the majority. I want to be thinkin that people are envious of me. EXTREMELY vain i know but honest none the least!

Also, when i look back at my holiday snaps i don’t want to be hiding my eyes when i see my self because my little belly is out all the time!

Basically it is purely a vain reason for me getting into shape for holiday but then again, who gets in shape for holiday for any other reason?

James

Afternoon everyone,

I had the weekend off as it was my girlfriends birthday and we back to her home town where i ate a ridiculous amount. Does anyone else find that when there is a BBQ and you aren’t cooking and food keeps on getting cooked and put down on a table you never stop eating untill the BBQ goes off? This is what i did, and i must have packed away a whole cow and pig with the amount i ate!

Anyway, i was discusing with someone the other day how Stuart from big brother ( i knwow i shouldn’t watch it but i can’t help it, i am blame my missus ). Anyway, we discussed how he is still looking in good shape after this time in the house without a serious gym, i don’t go for 2 days and feel like i lose shape!

I also aid that if i could get in shape like him for my hols i would be quite happy, and i’m sure my girlfriend would be happy as well! Here is a pic if you don’t know what i am talking about …

Got quite a bit of work to fit in these last 3 weeks, been 2 days in a row now and going again tonight,

Right, off to eat my 3rd pitta bread and tuna of the day.