Men's Fitness Guide Issue 13

welcome Now, more than ever, we all want to feel stronger, energised, and our healthiest, best selves. That’s why this special guide from the editors of Men’s Fitness could well be the most crucial item in your fitness kit. It includes all you need to know to get you looking toned and feeling great, whatever fitness level you’re at. With expert advice from the top health, sports and nutrition pros, The Workout Manual is packed with targeted workouts for fat loss, including working out at home with dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells (p16), plus performence-based routines to hone your sports skills (p30), and a selection of strength and power building circuits (p46). And of course, you can’t shred fat and build muscle with exercise alone, so don’t skip the nutrition info (p60) to ensure…

Learn to work in This is gym code for “sharing the equipment”. Generally, the wrong thing to do is shuffle around the equipment looking as though you want it but not saying anything. If someone is using the kit you need and it’s the only station in the gym, wait until they’ve finished their set – don’t talk to them while they’re squatting – and then politely ask if you can work in (use the equipment while they’re resting). Most people will be fine with it. And it goes without saying that if someone asks, you should share your kit with them too. Get a spotter To make the most of your sessions, you’ll occasionally need a spotter – someone to make sure you’re safe under the weight and help you out with…

1 IF YOU FEEL PAIN AT ANY TIME DURING YOUR WORKOUT, STOP IMMEDIATELY Don’t be tempted to work through the pain or you could make a small problem significantly worse. 2 MAINTAIN PERFECT FORM FOR EVERY REPETITION, OR REP, OF EVERY EXERCISE Each exercise in this guide comes with detailed notes on form and most gyms have qualified fitness professionals on hand who will be happy to help if you’re unsure about an exercise. 3 PICK A WEIGHT YOU EASILY MANAGE THE FIRST TIME YOU LIFT IT This allows you to concentrate on perfecting the form – you can increase weight over time. Choosing a weight that’s too heavy is the fastest way to cut your training short through injury, so leave your ego at the door!…

The more you know about training, the better your progress will be. And with the benefit of our trainers’ experience and knowledge – including simple tips for first-time trainees and advanced upgrades for the veteran gym-goers – you’ll get stronger, leaner and fitter in next to no time. Q Can I get fitter and look better at the same time? Building an impressive physique and improving your sporting performance aren’t the same thing – but they needn’t be mutually exclusive THE COACH Christian Thibaudeau is a world-renowned strength coach and author who has competed as an Olympic lifter and a bodybuilder First, let’s make one thing clear. It is definitely possible to build a muscular, lean body while making strength, speed and power gains. In fact, I would say that training like an athlete and…

TRAINING SESSIONS DON’T have to be lengthy and complicated to be effective. For optimum fat loss, you can simply grab a single bit of equipment and do one of these quickfire routines. Every workout in this chapter is a “complex” – a workout format that’s ironically very straightforward. You just pick up a piece of kit and don’t let go until you’ve performed every rep of every exercise, which is great for ramping up your metabolism to burn more calories – not to mention building an iron grip. Terminology decoded REPS An abbreviation of repetitions. One rep is the completion of a given exercise from start to finish through a full range of motion. SETS A given number of reps of a single exercise performed consecutively without rest. REST The time taken between exercises and/or sets, during which…

THE COACH Alex Gildea of Gfitlondon.com was a pro footballer for ten years before establishing his personal training company., which combines new school training philosophy with old school fitness techniques THE PLAN “Holding the dumbbell in your right hand, do all the reps of all six exercises before restarting with the weight in your left hand,” says Gildea. To strengthen your abdominal muscles you need to create instability that they resist. Then, to reveal them, you need to burn more calories than you consume to strip away the fat. This workout does both. Created by trainer Gildea, it uses unilateral exercises. Why? “When you move with just one side of your body – which you do with every step – your core activates, stabilising your spine and pelvis and transferring power across your body,” he…