West Side Training !

Andy Bolton deadlifting 1003lbs

feck!











Great site for anyone looking to get strong - lots of article there from the top guys in the strength training arena - Check it out!


WEST SIDE TRAINING

Ice pack please

MMA Really Quick Knockout - Watch more free videos

Just cant bulk up!

Although I have no problem bulking up (hmm, burgers), I know guys often find it hard to put away enough food to add any real mass. I have had people on everything from more oils to ice cream to help bump up the calories but I would like to hear what you guys do when trying to get big?

Any super calorie recipes you would like to share?




My favourite -
a chicken fried rice,
chips,
curry sauce,
2 banana fritters

. . . . . and a diet coke :-)

I laughed so hard at this !

I knew I should never have bought my dad a webcam for his birthday!

Jean Pierre Fux !

Wow - It's been ages since I've seen this picture.


It's Jean Pierre Fux going tits up with almost 700 pounds on his back.






What can we learn from JP ?


1 / Use safety bars when attempting to lift heavy weights. In fact, use them all the time just in case.

2 / The Achilles tendon is not meant to come into contact with the Anus.

3 / Knee wraps and a belt won't help you avoid death if this bar lands on your neck. Refer to first point.

4 / Always wear gloves when you squat.


Source

MMA Training

After having a grapple with a mate yesterday and severely kicking his ass I decided to stick a blog post up for those interested in training for Mixed Martial Arts. Although my friend does a lot of cardio and I do none (no shit Neil, you never said) he found he was busted before I was -

Why was he busted? Steady state cardio such as running on a treadmill for 50 minutes in a straight line has very little cross over to sparring and grappling.





Chad Waterbury -

"When someone mentions endurance training, what comes to mind? Most of you would probably first think of running or jogging. Sure, those are acceptable activities to build endurance, but they sure as hell aren't the best methods to increase MMA-specific endurance!

If MMA events consisted of nothing more than running in a straight line, I could finish up this article in a hurry: run to the point of exhaustion. The next day, run farther.

And you know what? That's exactly what many MMA fighters have done in the past. In fact, that's how most MMA fighters still build endurance. But I'm here to kimura that dogma into submission and show you a much more effective way to build ass-stompin' endurance.

Yep, there won't be any long-distance running in this program. That statement alone will probably cause many aerobic zealots to lash out at me in furious anger. Why no running, you say? After all, fighters have built endurance with long-distance running since the dawn of man, right? Didn't Rocky Balboa spend his days running through the streets of Philadelphia? And he beat-up everyone who stood in front of him!

Well, this ain't the movies. All of those UFC, Pride, and K-1 fighters are held in the highest regard because they are putting their health on the line every time they sign the dotted line. And if you've ever stood in a ring or dojo against another fighter who was bloodthirsty, you know how humbling that feeling can be. So you better be prepared.

Long distance running should be avoided by MMA fighters because it challenges aerobic metabolism. As mentioned, this energy system isn't designed to play a significant role during high and moderate levels of power output. If you want to be a great fighter, you'd better be powerful.

Second, long-distance running or cycling causes a muscle fiber type shift away from high-force to low-force capabilities (type IIB/X -> type IIA and type IIA -> type I). Numerous studies have demonstrated that our physiology is very efficient at shifting our muscle fibers toward the lower end of the force-producing spectrum during typical long distance endurance training (too many studies to reference for that statement).

Long-distance running makes you less powerful, period.

Bottom line: if you want to build powerful endurance, you should develop the system that works for the longest period of time at the highest level. By default, the system of choice is anaerobic glycolysis."

For those who watched the Sean Sherk Video I posted before and the great video of 'The Rock' training you will notice how little time is given to distance running - actually none. Check the video label if you missed these.

At most, running should be done outside with a maximum distance of one or two miles and the fighter should stick to these sort of distances and get faster rather than aiming to cover more distance.

To read more about Chad Waterbury and MMA training check these links to the great T nation site -

Full Throttle Training


Hammer Down Strength


Hammer Down Endurance


Fight School

ANDY FORDHAM !

Check out Andy - 10 stone off in as many months. I wonder if it has had an affect on his darts?


Source

Victor Konovalov - motivation !

He can't run or use the cross trainer but yet he has abs of steel and looks amazing -

Touche cardio, touche !

"Victor Konovalov – IFBB Pro 5 Time NPC National Overall Bodybuilding Champion

At the age of 20, Victor Konovalov was a budding star on the motocross circuit. While practicing one day, Victor was attempting a double jump when he looped his bike then landed on his feet shattering vertebrae in his spine. The accident left Victor paralyzed from the waist down and a once promising career had abruptly come to an end. In the months following the accident Victor found himself sliding into a deep depression with thoughts of suicide entering into his mind. Victor had reached a crossroads in his life and needed to search for a new path.

At 24 a close friend had convinced Victor to enter a gym for the first time since his accident. Though reluctant, he found himself in a position to alter his own situation on his terms. He quickly adapted to the environment and began to vigorously condition his body in ways he had never imagined. The gym had become his salvation and refuge, offering hope and a new beginning.

As the years passed, Victor’s physique had transformed so dramatically that many of his closest friends encouraged him to enter a bodybuilding competition for wheelchair bound individuals. Again hesitant, he reluctantly agreed and at age 34 Victor won the first of what would become a record five NPC National Wheelchair Overall Championship titles (1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2007) and was the first member of the IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Wheelchair Division. His stature as a champion garnered him the first wheelchair bodybuilder to receive an endorsement from a supplement company, Weider. Victor’s most recent national overall title (2007) came at the age of 45, 24 years the senior of the runner up."

Source

Bender Ball Quiz !

Watch the whole video then answer these simple questions -

A ) How many times is diet mentioned when trying to achieve great abs?

1 - Just once.
2 - Three times
3 - They didn't even fecking mention diet.

B) The fitness model shown . . .

1 - Has only used the ball to get those abs and doesn't even know what a gym is.
2 - Had great abs in the first place after years of training and dieting and was paid to demonstrate the ball.

C) The Bender Ball is '. . . . ' % better than ordinary crunches.

1 - 106%
2 - 408%
3 - 2352%


The winner will receive a picture of a folded cushion which is 894 % better than the Bender Ball.

Richard Cadden - Thai Boxer

Richard Cadden - pictured in pink!












Recently I interviewed Evan about his weight lifting adventures as a vegetarian. This generated such a great response that I decided to make this a bit of a regular feature on the blog if i could. This time around I managed to get Richard 'Thai Champ' Cadden to spend a minute telling us about his life as a Champion Thain Boxer!

Hey Richard and welcome to the blog. First off, give us a bit of background.

I fight out of the Bad Company Gym in Leeds and 2yrs ago I started running my own gym in York and I am starting to put fighters out on the domestic circuit. My gym is called Chokdee Gym, which means "Good Luck Gym" in Thai.

I have been training in Thaiboxing for 11yrs (19yrs-31yrs)

Before this I played amateur and professional rugby for Heworth ARFLC and Ryedale York RLFC from the age of 8yrs old until I was 19.

Other martial arts experience includes achieving my brown belt in Judo, winning a national silver medal in the junior open weight category even though I was only 60kgs....all the other guys I fought that day were 80kgs+.

I also competed for 6-months on the semi-contact kickboxing circuit and won a regional title

I have always been a sportsman and this has been the focus of my training. I have been very results focussed and having goals to strive for has directed my training.

Wow! So you are almost as hard as me! What else have you achieved in the sport of Thai Boxing?

I am champion across 3 weights, including

2-times WPMF World Champion at 67kgs

ISKA European Champion at 64kgs

WAKO-Pro British and English champion at 62kgs

I have been UK ranked number 1 for the past 7yrs and the longest standing #1 ranked fighter in the UK.

In 2002 I won a bronze medal at the World championships in Bangkok.

In my fighting career I have fought from 59-70kgs

I have fought for the 61kgs world title (lost on a cut) but then the following year won the 67kg world title....so I think this was a bridge too far with the weight loss in the Bangkok heat.

I have fought several times in Thailand and in the massive stadiums in Bangkok (Rajadamnern)

This year I am also a strong contender for 'Sportsman of the Year' for the Yorkshire Evening Press, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that one. I think this is a big step for Muay Thai and getting it more broadly publicized in the UK.

Very Impressive! With all the sports you have played, what was the added attraction with Muay Thai?

I started off doing semi-contact kickboxing, but after 6-months of training, the club closed down. One of the guys who trained at the class also did thaiboxing and when no one turned up for the kickboxing class asked if I wanted to have a bash at thaiboxing. I started flicking the pads with my kickboxing-style kicks when he stopped me and said "no....kick it hard....kick it properly, like you mean it!!!!"

From the first time I was allowed to kick hard, I fell in love with the style.

At this point I was planning a round the world trip so decided to squeeze in a trip to Thailand at the same time.

After only 6-months of training I visited the massive stadiums of Bangkok and saw the awesome power of the Thai fighters. That night I went back to my hotel and wrote in my diary that I would love to fight at one of the big stadiums against one of these top guys....almost as a pipe-dream, but after 11yrs hard training and constant visits to Thailand to train, I fought there for the first time in 2006 and won by KO in the first round.

I love the powerful and extreme style of Muay Thai. This is the hardest ring-sport in the world. Personally I feel it is more extreme than MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as if you find it hard standing and striking you can't just roll on the floor or be tapped out. It is a very aggressive sport, but you have to be calm and clinical when you compete.

I have trained twice a year for the past 10yrs in Thailand, 6 or 7 hrs a day for between 3-weeks and 3-month slots. I love the training and pushing myself to my mental and physical limits.

I have experienced tough injuries and come through hardships, and the biggest attribute I think this has added to my training in a certain mental tenacity. It has given me a "never say die" attitude. There are no excuses for not training, you can always work around injuries.

I think there is a significant difference between peoples mental perception of training hard and what they can actually physically achieve. As a fighter I have been to the point where I thought I was going to die..... I thought my heart was going to explode in my chest....and the trainer has kept on throwing new fresh sparring partners at me.

I have trained to a level where I have been that oxygen-depleted that it has felt like "the shutters are rolling down" over my eyes. So I know what hard training is, and I absolutely love it. I also love seeing my body change in the preparation for a fight.

And just recently I have discovered what a major impact diet has on training. I have come from the old-school of hard-knox training and never really spent any time focusing on diet and nutrition, but as a competitor I think this would have made a major impact to my fighting career if I had found this earlier.

Ok, so maybe you are harder than me. What are your plans or the future?

First things first.... I am defending my UK #1 ranking at 63.5kgs (for the 5th time) this Sunday at a show in Wolverhampton. Then 6-days later I fly out to Thailand to defend my world title (at 67kgs). This will be tough as I will have to eat like a horse for the week after this fight to try and build myself for the next 3 weeks and try to put on 4kgs of lean muscle in such a short space of time. Couple this with the heat and extreme training in Bangkok, its certainly another challenge to go for.

In 2008, I have been asked to fight on a big show in Manchester around February time.

After that - who knows...

I am having a play with some submission fighting so I may have a go at MMA in the future.

Never say never! :)

As for teaching....I will have 2 or 3 of my own fighters out from Chokdee Gym early next year.

Starting next year, I will be teaching Thai Boxing at some after-school clubs. This could breed the next generation of Chokdee members.

I would like to open my own gym, but I also realise how much hard work this is.
I am always keen to take advantage of opportunities that come my way.

Any advice for the guys reading this who would like to get involved in this hard core sport?

I think the first thing that people always say is that they don't feel fit enough and they are worried about getting beaten up on their first try.

I think its important that given correct instruction a coach/instructor should be encouraging and nurturing new members and not pandering to their own egos, giving people a baptism of fire. As an instructor I always ensure people can perform the techniques correctly and control their techniques before they start doing drills, and then progress on to sparring. This makes sure people are safe and they can train without the worry of being hurt.

Theres nothing like training for the first time and embracing the new techniques. After a few weeks you will be proficient enough to start speeding your techniques up and throwing them with a bit more power, and you can get a better work out. As you learn more, you realise theres always more to learn in that eternal strive for perfection.

Over and above the sparring, pad-work and drills we do in the class, there are exercises which will add to your balance, control and strength for martial arts. These are mainly bodyweight exercises such as burpees, squats, tuck-jumps, added to a variety of press-ups and sit-ups for that full body workout. This will bring in to alignment the strengths and weaknesses in your biometric build up and make sure you are functionally fit, rather than just building "t-shirt" or "disco" muscles.

Just out of interest- how do you make a living with all the gym time?

I do all this training over and above working a full time job as a Technical Support Engineer working with on-track plant on the railway (35hrs Mon-Thurs).

My average day when fight training:

05:30 - 6:15 - Morning run

06:15 - 6:45 - Shower, breakfast and off to work

07:00 15:45 - Work

17:00 - 20:00 - In the gym doing pad work, sparring, fitness drills.

21:00 - 22:30 - Free time at home with the missus, having a meal.

22:45 - Bedtime

You sir are bonkers - but I must say I admire your passion and dedication to your sport. Definitely an inspiration to the bums out there who say 'oh, I haven't got time' or some other lame ass excuse.


Big thank you to Richard and 'Chok Dee' for your next fight!

Decided to Diet . . .

After seeing so many of you guys get stuck into the Diet Plan I have decided to switch from my bulk to a cut a lot earlier than expected. I miss the discipline of dieting and would like to cut up without the pressure of meeting competition dates. In the summer I needed to be really light to be suitable for the Men's Health Competition but now I can drop body fat without any pressure.






My current weight is about 14 '5.

Squat, Bench and Dead lift at the minute only 10 kg below my personal bests at
180 / 150 and 220 kg

My current plan is an Upper / Lower split pretty much most days - if I am tired, busy in work, burnt out etc I will rest up until the following day. I judge my rest by how I feel.

Cheat days will be thrown in again when I feel I need them. If I don't feel I need to cheat I may just wait until the following weekend.

I plan on following my own Diet Plan like last year but I will not drop my carbs as low as I don't need to drop mass like before.

Goals -

Maximum strength
Maximum muscle
Slow and steady fat loss.
5 - 7 % body fat.

I will tweak my Upper / Lower split slightly just for variety. I may also add some 'ab' work in as any I have done in the past has been just arsing about. This time around I would like to see how they come up if I include them in a routine and stick with them for a few weeks.

Upper day - A routine
Probably go chest and tricep dominant with back still getting hit loads and shoulders in at the end.

Upper day - B routine
Back and bicep dominant with chest and shoulders after.

Lower day - A routine
Quad and ab dominant - hams etc after

Lower day - B routine
Hamstring and lower back dominant - quads and abs after.

So alternating like this

Upper - a
Lower - a
Upper - b
Lower - b

Repeat

Main foods -

Eggs
Granary bread
Sweet potatoes
Turkey
Salmon
Flax oil
Post workout 'Profusion' with added glucose
Lots of water and a Multi vitamin
I also take a Lucozade sport when i train - I find it helps me perform at least 33% better.

Ok, so now I'm back on the dieting train to lean town and its coming up to Xmas - this is definitely a neilmct first.

Mighty Mouse!

Scientists have bred a fecking super mouse. How cool is this -

"The mouse can run up to six kilometres (3.7 miles) at a speed of 20 metres per minute for five hours or more without stopping. Scientists said that this was equivalent of a man cycling at speed up an Alpine mountain without a break. Although it eats up to 60 per cent more food than an ordinary mouse, the modified mouse does not put on weight. It also lives longer and enjoys an active sex life well into old age – being capable of breeding at three times the normal maximum age."

Why was I not made a volunteer in his experiment?

Maybe because I'm already like that?

Source -
Mighty Mouse