De-Constructing Group exercise: Part 1 - BodyPump

Hello everyone, especially the bus-drivers of Singapore!

"Im not telling you where this bus stops.... ever!"

I would like to take a few moments at the start of this blog to pay tribute to the skill, manner and professionalism of this elite group of people. For those of you who know me and my humour, you may have guessed that i am actually TAKING THE PISS.

So I am on the bus (don't ask - i just was), the journey is horrible... I won't mention ethnic groups to avoid seeming racist but there were groups of ******* and ******* people in this bus, rubbing next to me... touching me. One ****** gentleman even had the audacity to casually throw his arm up to use the overhead handle, thrusting his arm-pit near my newly-shaven face. The smell was, well.... pretty FUNKY. To be honest it was f*cking gross.

Anyway, 45 minutes later (all on my feet BTW) i'm ready to kill someone. I ask the bus driver where the stop was for my destination. He looked at my as if i had just shown him a severed hand.

Top O' the morning to Ya!

Driver: "No, No stop"

NW: "Where is the stop for Turf City?"

Driver: "No, No stop"

NW: "Ok, where is the stop nearest to Turf City, so i may walk the remainder of the journey?" (I turn into a polite englishman abroad when i'm very annoyed and my language is excellent!)

(Take into consideration, i have told myself if he says 'No, no stop' again, i'm ready to take him out... and probably the rest of the bus)

Driver: "No, No..........."

NW: "Arrrrrrrggghhhhh!!!!! f*ckin' hell. Do your job!"

The bus stop i wanted was literally 3 short stops down the road with a massive TURF CITY THIS WAY!!! sign at the bus stop. I was so annoyed and confused.

This got me thinking about people and their jobs. 



Do you really like your job?

Do you actually go into work and give your absolute best to that job every day? This bus driver knew his route, he does it every single day of his life, yet he didn't want to help me... i feel sad that he goes through his day/life with a shitty attitude to bus passengers' questions. It is an easy job - drive the bus and answer people's travel queries, but he couldn't even do that.

I hope he dies alone... wet and very cold (preferably in pain). I would gladly show him the correct stop for the nearest hospital/morgue - should we be on the same bus at the very same time that he is dying.

"Don't just be in your job/field/industry.... Be into it"

I have borrowed that from Martin Rooney's last blog... awesome fitness coach, you should check his stuff out. http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/ Love what you do and its amazing how days at "work" fly by.

Todays blog is slightly controversial and it will look at the 'dangers' and some of the short-comings of group exercise. When writing this i spoke to a few of the GroupX guys in my current gym. Let me say this before i go any further... They are (all the group exercise colleagues i have had the pleasure to work with) amazing people with a passion and skill to train large groups of people at the same time. They also entertain (something which i have been told that i dont do!) and excite their crowds into getting in shape. Im a fan of group X instructors... I certainly couldn't do what they do.



Whats not to love about 2 shiny people training in the rain? Double awesome.

BodyPump

I have tried this class a couple of times (literally twice) and thought it was good, challenging and useful. I understand how someone would include it into their weekly/monthy training schedule... i dont really understand the freaks that do 3-4 BodyPump classes a week (i think thats a recipe for disaster) and dismiss all other forms of exercise as inferior to BP.

The good - BP will give 'almost' a full body workout and it hits different tempo's which is good for basic strength and certainly improved muscular endurance. The fact that people will really end up 'loving' this class is a good thing (loving exercise will mean people will return and stay fit) although many become 'addicted' and miss out on other great forms of training. I will admit, as a concept i like BP a lot... but my argument would be that most people who take it should firstly be individually screened in exercise technique so that participation becomes safe for both client and Instructor. Unfortunately this doesn't happen.

The bad - When i say 'almost a full body session' I mean there is often no 'direct' hamstring tracks, which could lead to strength imbalances in the lower body with multiple BP classes per week/month. Yes there are deadlifts, but they way they are taught in the class emphasises the lower/upper back... which leads me to my final point. Technique. Also, most of the exercises are performed in one movement plane (Frontal); where the body should be trained through all 3 (Frontal, Sagittal and Tranverse) for a fully complete training program.

If i'm wrong on anything so far, Please call me on it? I want to know what you think.

The ugly - The main reason i would be a nervous wreck taking a class is because (as a PT) i'm meticulous about proper exercise technique (everyone should be!).

I can't believe this was a promotional picture to entice people into BodyPump!

Lady 1 (far left) seems ok, not sure why her feet are so close? (But no major worries)

Lady 2 (centre) will have a bad neck in about 4 weeks time from cranking her head up to watch herself

Lady 3 (right) looks like she has a bent back... but who cares! Its a great tune and there are 2000 more reps to go!! wooooppp wooooppp!!! The reason why she goes to the back of the class is probably because she is not very good exercise and wants to hide from everyone else in that particular class.

I genuinely believe that 'some' people go into classes to hide, especially the guys/gals in the back rows. They are not confident on the gym floor (for numerous reasons) and slip into a class where all the attention is seeked/demanded by the front row groupies - wearing the latest Les Mills Body Pump kit and matching headband/wristband set.



                      Front row 'BP groupie' with Les Mills sleeveless zip top and matching lady gloves... sweet!

Meanwhile, back in the local commercial gym.....

WOW! check out the tekkers on grandma! (front row left)... that looks high quality.

I honestly could have fun with this all day, but that would be un-productive. The catch about taking a class of 25 people is that you have to keep the show going. As an instructor, it is nearly impossible to keep a class full of people energised if he/she was continually correcting the weakest links of the group. How could you possibly know if someone in the back row was performing an exercise correctly with this view?



Answer: You can't even SEE the back row!

One more problem I have with BP (and warrants a blog of its own) is the depth of squats that are taught. Every time i look into a class i see shallow squat patterns (often with too much weight for the prescribed 3 minute tracks) which WILL lead to overworked Vastus Lateralis (side of quads for the lay person). In my experience, general PT clients i assess will struggle with the deep squat pattern because they are too tight, so i can assume the Group X/class crowd are no better. Every 'Pumper' i have had foam roll on their VL has nearly burst a spleen in pain. Its not a coincidence, Its a trend.



Foam rolling is not nice if you have tight VL (from shallow squat technique)

BodyPump Solutions

My goal of this blog was:

a) Make people laugh
b) Share some fitness knowledge
c) NOT to rubbish BodyPump as the devil!

therefore, my solutions for those who go to multiple BP classes per week would be:

1) Back off from 1 class per week and work on soft tissue/flexibility instead, Or take a Yoga class? It will result in a less painful and injury free future as well as promote better technique all around.

Read this for more info http://nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com/2010/12/for-fcks-sake-foam-roll.html

2) Foam roll and stretch before and after classes. Stretch what feels tight.

3) If unsure about anything, ask the instructor to keep an eye on you when you take the class, they will be happy to oblige (although you may face a fight with a 'BP groupie' for his/her front row space!)

This blog is getting lengthy so i will leave it and create Part 2: Spinning/RPM. Also my conclusion about group exercise/classes and what classes i think you should be doing.

I can't resist one more.....

"Look at me love... I can rep out barbell rows and take the piss the same time... woop woop, feel the burn!!

Please leave comments at the bottom, i love hate mail! Share with Facebook friends if you like this :)

Welcome to Singapore

Hi all,

Some time in late 2010 i made a massive personal decision to look for new pastures, a new challenge and a chance to carry on my travel and world fitness education. After having 2 offers from Hong Kong and Singapore (SNG), i decided to go with the latter... and it already seems like the right choice. When i was thinking about the content of this blog, i decided against comparing SNG and my former home, Bahrain. I loved my time there i never get into the habit of critising places i have lived or still have friends. Just like my home town, Llanelli. I honestly don't think i could ever live there again (for many reasons) but that doesn't mean i don't like the place. 



Home, Sweet Home

Anyway, i digress.... These are the things i have noticed in my first month in SNG.

The first thing i noticed (quite literally) coming off the plane was the humid Climate. If you are a sweaty person, you would fit right in here... sweatin' hell! I have spent the first 2 weeks perspiring (posh name for sweating) and generally being warm. Im getting used to it i think, but locals tell me you cant get used to it - it just is. You sweat in SNG, you will have 3-4 showers per day, get over it. 

As a walk to work everyday i pass locals engaging in exercises. People have an Active lifestyle here. Of course there are sedentary people everywhere and this place is no different, but i haven't noticed an abundance of seriously obese people yet, maybe because everyone walks around? Maybe because i work in a gym and i am generally around trimmer people? i pass the same guy every morning doing his 'old man exercises' which are tragic at best - but you know what, he is staying active, i respect the fact that he is off his ass and moving. When i walk home i pass an elderly Tai chi evening class every night, outdoor activities seem to be popular in my neighbourhood (insert red light district jokes here).

Locals love evening Tai Chi

The Food is excellent and really expensive in places. Its interesting to see what is cheap here - Salmon, spinach, Pak choy, organic vegetables are all foods you would pay a lot for in the UK, here they are great value. So no real excuses to overeat on bad foods. Supplements are an outrage! GNC have total dominance in the market and their prices are crazy. When the woman told me GNC standard gold whey was $S200 (100 quid) i nearly choked... "but its buy one, get one free this month" Yeah, i should f*cking hope so. Again, this gives me a chance to get back to proper nutrition and focus on whole foods. I am about to talk with Maximuscle about distributing their products which is great news - i've always liked their stuff and my clients will benefit from them too.

Alcohol is expensive, which is a great thing if you're trying to get back in shape. I don't actually mind this. There are happy hours and cheaper alternatives but i would have to drink on weekdays and in street food joints to take advantage.

Local drinking joints are street side and inexpensive

There is such a wide mix of People here that its hard to say generally what 'people' are like. Its a real blend of cultures and pretty cool to be a part of. Of course, i went to Boat Quay recently and was pleased to see the english 'culture' of getting rat-assed and being sick in public was still very much on display. Brilliant... we are a bunch of dicks with limited class really, aren't we?

I guess i am comparing Orchard Road against anything i saw in Bahrain by saying its nothing like it. The atmosphere, the crowds, the air... everything says more living. My old home does seem pretty dead when i think about it now, not that its a bad thing... its just a really different environment. I particularly enjoy the chirpy music that plays outside my gym each morning - it nearly puts me in a good mood, nearly.

Orchard Road at night

The Public transport system is amazing. Really easy, really cheap and always on time. If i go into this anymore i will be labelled as a bus/train pervert so thats all on that.

The gym is pretty cool, all the people who train here 'seem' to have the right idea about 'functional training' although it has made me re-think about the whole subject (maybe a should write a blog about it) I just see too much of... how can i put it?.... hmmmm.... "f*cking around" in gyms, yes perfect. I mean do you really need to balance on a bosu ball with one leg and do a shoulder press? What happened to a DB shoulder press? I hear fat people talking about the nuances of shoulder training when they should really lose some inches around the waist.

Some member, bless her... (sarcasm) tried to sell Spinning to my PT client while i was training him. Yeah cheers for that, my new 'office-worker' client who has bi-lateral hip tightness and resultant lower back issues really need to spend another hour of his day "smashing" an already tight left hip!!! Thats the thing about cereal-box philosphy, its dangerous in a gym. A little knowledge is dangerous, this lady obviously had it. But i digress....

Im talking about gym users here (and trainers). Basic movements are 'functional'. Squats, lunges, pulls, pushes, etc. It seems that the basics are being over-looked for the latest balancing act, it's bullshit. I honestly cant remember seriously using a bosu ball in the last 6 years - maybe they are good for something? Answers on a postcard below please!

Can you guess what is going to happen next?

I really like the bulgarian bag (like a sandbag) for fat loss circuits and the viper seems like a decent kit for  a change of angles. I will add these to my fat loss circuits in time, but for now the correction/strength programming (which works) is still my go-to method for client success... Cheers to the guys at Cressey Performance for that!

Bodybuilding training is very much prevalent here in Singapore, which is surprising. Its been a while since i've trained in a genuine 'civvy' gym so maybe time has stood still and people still train like i used to when i was 18? I'm still to find out. Im seeing a lot of T-shirt muscles and big waists in my first month here and maybe its a reflection of the training/partying culture of ex-pats here? Read the latest T nation (www.t-nation.com) article by TC called "the testosterone principles - most bodybuilders look like crap" its a good read about the above topic.

Ok, thats me done. My next blog is going to offend some folk but its honestly how i feel about the subject: De-constructing group exercise classes


It should be controversial at the very least.

Share on FB, if you like this :)

How i gained 10kgs... Part deux

Hi all,

If you're new to the blog or didn't read Part 1, here it is:

http://nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-i-gained-10kg-in-1-month-part-1.html

I suggest reading it first as this blog would make no sense. Its been a while coming but here is part 2 (or deux... because im a dick) of my "how i gained 10kgs in a month" blog.

Firstly, I would like to reply to the person/people who said my blog was "always negative" by saying a nice big "**** ***" and thanks for the feedback even though it is, absolutely useless. Probably like yourself. The blog is meant to be informative and lightly sarcastic in humour (my own brand) - if i have offended you by some of the content in the past then please allow me to say "**** ***" again!

How about making a comment below next time and start a real fitness debate? Not pass ridiculous comments to my friends about what you think of my writing - tell me in person and stop lurking on my blog - take some of the excellent advice here (and it is excellent) and use it for positive means or make some constructive feedback in the comments section. Rant over.



Stop lurking and make a constructive comment!

The Training

In a word - WOW! when i read what training we were going to do over the course of this program i must admit i wasn't looking forward to it, my training partner (Lou, a bodybuilder type) was licking his lips at the slow-tempo-extended rest bonanza that was about to happen! How wrong i was! I absolutely loved the sessions, they ended up as some of the hardest, most productive training sessions i've ever done. I was left completely wiped after each workout - but in a good way!

These are the guidelines:

- 1 max set of each muscle group, completing a minimum of 7 reps

- Lifting tempo is 5:5 @ 7 reps, thats a minimum set duration of *70 seconds

Slow, controlled tempo is the order of the day

*Try completing a 70 second set with a heavy weight at 5:5, let me know how that goes! Hard.com

- 3 minutes rest between each exercise

- NO cardio needed

- You should lift more weight or complete more reps at each training session.

A typical session might look like this:

- DB bench press

- Barbell row

- Squat

- Cable abdominal crunch

- Cable lat pulldown

- Barbell shoulder press

- Tricep pushdown

- DB bicep curls

Or whatever exercises/muscle groups you choose in any order.

There were a number of reasons why i think each session was so good, here are the best ones:

1. Rest

Think of every muscle building program you have been on. I'm guessing it had you training 4-6 times per week trying to hit every muslce group at least twice, possibly 3 times! the more the better, right? Well this programs' main focus is on total recovery after each session and the recovery time actually increases as the month goes on. From 2 days up to 4 days between training! Tim (author) actually experimented until his recovery time was an unbelievable 10 days!

Rest for 2 complete days between sessions 1, 2, 3 and 4... then rest 3 days between sessions 5, 6, 7 and 8... then rest 4 days and so on... We only trained 10 hours in 34 days!

Myth number 1 debunked: The more you train the bigger you get, it seems that this is not the case. Recovery is a massive (and often overlooked) factor in muscle growth.



You need your quality sleep to recover and grow

2. TUT

Over the course of my training career i have moved away from pure bodybuilding training (for different reasons i wont go into here). But, i have never critized bodybuilding training, after all its what made me fall in love with lifting weights, it changed my life. I think people get confused when training like a bodybuilder and the main concept that causes this confusion is time under tension (TUT). All top trainers/bodybuilders i'm sure know that to elicit the best muscular gains, sets have to be anything from 45-120 seconds. Yet the average set performed in the gym is about 20-25 seconds (thats my own guess).

So you can see that those guys looking for pure muscle gain are really missing the point when it comes to hypertrophy (muscle building) training.

This program does not allow you to have short set. Eventually we agreed that all sets were timed at 75 seconds and didn't bother with the reps.

3. Failure


How many people actually train to 'true failure' any more? If you train on your own its very difficult and by my observations a lot of people do not lift enough weight for enough reps to even get close to 'true failure'. Although there is enough literature out there to support that going 'balls to the wall' on every set will quickly catch up with you, that same literature does not involve 2-5 days off complete rest between sessions. It's your call - we tried it and it worked. "Go hard or go home!" Haha, i sound like a hardcore cross-fitter! 

4. Full body

Im not going to go into the benefits of full body as opposed to body part training because that subject could take up a whole blog by itself. Personally i think training the body as a whole unit in one session is the most time-efficient and all-around optimum way to train. Thats just my opinion, if you disagree, great... comment below and start a debate. Even if i had more time, i still don't think i would opt for the 'bodybuilding' twice a day, body-part split. This program suggests that you hit each muscle group for 1 set to failure, brutal and simple.

5. Calorie surplus

This is a (excuse the pun) massive area again overlooked for muscle/weight gain. Many factors need to be considered when calculating calorie intake for muscle/weight gain.

For example, I would assume that i need around 3-4000 calories to gain some muscle - with around 800-1000 calories of that being lean protein (200-250g). Its a very basic estimate, that i guess would work.


When i read John Berardi's nutrition section in a great book called "Scrawny to Brawny" (the title doesn't do the book justice) he asked would-be weight gainers to fill in certain numbers to be calculated. these numbers would be based on training type, fitness level, training frequency, job type, etc. 


My "Scrawny to Brawny" calculation came to a whopping 5400 calories per day So using my knowledge i could have been up to 2000 calories away from JB's recommended calorie intake for muscle/weight gain. Believe me, over a period of 4-6 weeks that would result in a significant amount of calories and resulting muscle/weight gain.

On the "geek to freak" training plan, the aim every day is to eat close to 6000 calories. Believe me, it may sound like a lot of fun but its really tough. Eating that many calories every day for only a month is a real commitment.

By the way, JB is one of the leading sports nutrition experts in the world today. Still not convinced? One of his superstar personal nutrition clients is George St Pierre. If you don't know who GSP is, i can't help you!



UFC welterweight world champion, GSP

Why i'm not going to give you our exact program....


Part of the reason this training month was so cool was the fact we always were looking to improve the way the session went. We tried different exercises, added and took away things we didn't feel right - it was a true 1 month experimental program which i feel we got right towards the end. I will however share below, what i would do differently if done again - so i can save you some of the mistakes we made!

For the record, if you stick with Tim's methods in "4 hour body" you will get amazing results. You may need to adjust certain things if you have work or other commitments.

What would i do differently?

My goal - lean mass 2-3kg


10kg in 1 month is ridiculous, i know that now - i just wanted to prove i could do it. Next time i would set my goals a lot lower and not gorge out on any food that was put in front of me. I honestly don't think its a good idea to change that rapidly either way... "slow and steady wins the race".

Eat cleaner


I would definitely lower my total calorie intake goal for the next "G2F" training month. I think i could add 2-3kg of quality mass by making that adjustment alone. Also, the fact that i sit here now typing this blog with relatively high BF% levels is obviously not a good practise for a fitness professional. Im being hard on myself here as i completed a very specific goal but if you asked me would i repeat it - i would say no, because i believe all PTs should be in shape at all times to inspire clients to train and eat well.

Concentrate on good, whole foods and plenty of them

Roll/stretch extensively/yoga


This program allows you an amazing amount of rest time. I would program in Foam rolling, mobility, flexibility, yoga, etc on those off days to fully use the time. I didn't do this nearly enough and ended up quite tight in some areas due to the intensity of the training.

You have lots of time to sort your soft tissue out, use it wisely and get better results

Add more direct leg work

Apart from Squats, there was no direct leg work in the training (excluding deadlifts). I would add in some direct hamstrings or calves. Trouble with that is i may have to resort to... drumroll......

MACHINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Add in machines where needed (what the f*ck!)

Rip my PT uniform off my back and throw my in a cave! Did i just suggest using a machine for weight training? Yes, in fact for this type of training tempo (5:5) machines would be an excellent way to really concentrate on muscle contraction and really get the tempo correct. For example, Squats were really tough and i think leg press could be a great alternative and executed better. Hamstring curl machines could be good? Smith machine could be a good addition for calf raises... who knows? I would definitely include some machines next time, so shoot me.

The smith machine could be a good addition when performing 5:5

Throw in 'Cardio'

I put on a lot weight in a month, simples.

According to my caliper measurements approximately 40-50% of it was bad weight (see the word 'fat') which i know have to lose again. Im not saying i would start running or cycling for extended time (that would then conflict the actual goal for the month) but i would include some intense, heart raising activities next time to keep the waistline tighter. These include:

Skipping
KB swings 
Sprints
Tabata (20 seconds hard, 10 seconds rest)
Rowing (500, 1000m)
Farmers Walks

These could be done in any fashion, Im quite liking the Kettlebell swing at the moment, i stick to 4 sets with 30 seconds rest and progress the reps each session. With skipping i tend to hit numbers like 500/1000 but thats just me. I would not go over 10 minutes each session.


Exercise order


You will find out that putting all upper body exercises in order will fry your forearms very quickly, leaving sub-optimal sets on arms (usually at the end). The way we got around this was to mix the exercise order to switch between upper, lower, core, upper, lower and so on.... try it out, the order we ended up with was way better on the forearms and arm strength than the order we started with on day 1.

Get a kick-ass training partner! 

Throughout the entire month i trained with fellow PT and (now) Ex-colleague Lulu Murali. We matched each other weights about 85% of the time. I feel like i lift a decent amount of weight when i train - compared to most gym goers anyway. The crazy thing is i had 20kg on Lou!!! Thats one strong MoFo right there. Find yourself a training partner that will bring the best out of you at every training session.


Thanks Lou!

Comment below and share with FB friends if you liked this :)