10 Ways To Cheat Yourself To Bigger Guns & The Perfect Fitness Photo

Me and my 32 year old baby...

It’s Boxing Day and rather than use this time to promote my upcoming online fitness and nutrition plan The Hot Body Project, or start promoting my other online plan The Athletic Body Project, I thought I’d use the time to respond to the hundreds of (well, tens of) supportive and hilarious friends who have chimed in on my new Facebook profile picture. 

Yesterday (Christmas Day) whilst sat in a meat coma with drink in hand, I decided to change my Facebook picture from one of me with my beautiful family at my sister-in-laws wedding 18 months ago to one from my recent adventure race; Judgement Day.

The look I was inadvertently going for...

Rather than holding my baby (an 18 month old William) I switched to a photo of me holding my other baby (a 32 year old bicep). And a tyre. On a wall. Looking moody / sexy. Or as one onlooker described, “serious-and-moody-whilst-wearing-a-sexy-hat look!” Which was nice because that’s the look I was going for.

The gun in question...

Anyway, amongst other supportive messages I had a... 

Even my wife chipped in...

Very complimentary, I think you’d agree. Except for the reference to my inability to ‘fix a flat’  (thank you, Rachel). Or my massage therapist (when I can't get an appointment with) claiming I have a ‘spare tyre’ and my brother-in-law doctoring it to make me look like Popeye.

Popeye

'fix a flat'

Can't get an appointment with her...

'I have achieved my perfect weight, just not in the right places!'

However, undeterred I gamely responded amidst cries of “photoshopping” knowing these were my friends and I never take myself to seriously...

But, when I woke this morning and saw and advert with Arnold Schwarzzeneggar (however you spell it) prospering advice about “building bigger arms” I felt I needed to chime in. 

My Hero: The Austrian Oak

Rather than telling you how I actually did it - hard work and dedication - I’d tell you some hard and fast rules I applied in this picture (some without knowing) to make you look hot.

1. Get a good photographer. Judgement Day offer the participants free photos. They’re great. The photographers, unlike at other races, are brilliant. This photographer is now my best friend.
2. Sit at the correct angle. A quarter turn is enough. The angle matters. Like Zoolander, you want them to get your good side.
3. Sit up high. It makes you feel grandiose. A little like Kim Jong Un. 
4. Look moody with a vacant stare. I didn’t know I was doing this, but it worked in my favor here. You can do this too. To help you, you need to get really tired. I did this on this occasion by running 10k up and down hills with a 20kg sand bags. I’m sure there are better ways, but play with a couple and see what works for you.
5. Get muddy. I got the look by wading through lakes, crawling through mud and putting a little on my face. It gives your skin a darker complexion.
6. Wear a really tight vest. If you want to look muscular this is important. Some would say more important than actually training and eating well. The vest I’m wearing is extra small. I could hardly breathe. It made the race tough, but I looked hot, and that’s importanter.
7. Get a tattoo and short hair. This isn’t essential, it’s just cool. But try it, it might work for you.
8. Carry a manly instrument. In this case I’ve got a tyre. You could try wood, a diet coke (think diet coke break), a gun or a drill. It doesn’t have to be functional, but it helps.
9. Have a sunbed. Some people might not like this, but it’s a factor. Like mud, but cleaner, a sunbed makes your skin thinner and appear more ‘healthy’. But don’t be swayed from your usual ‘6 minute a month’ sunbed to a 10 minute one. The orange looking woman in the shop (the one that flirted with me) is a bit of a shark. Don’t be tricked into that, unless you want a great picture.
10. Get your photographer (my best friend) to add a grainy finish. This is better than the mud and the orange tan for bringing on a flagging bicep. 

There you have it. Forget hard work and dedication. Sack off the training and meal prep. Don’t even consider lifting something or watching what you eat. Follow my ten step-fail-safe gun enhancer plan today and let me know how you get on.

I believe it can also work for abs, thighs and ass improvements too.

The Fit Green (Woking Bootcamp) take on Survival of the Fittest

The Fit Green (Woking Fitness Camp) take on Survival of the Fittest

The excitement and trepidation arriving at Woking Station was evident. A few seasoned pros, and a handful of newbies, with a coffee in hand we boarded the train.

We were on our way to Wembley to take on the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest. An obstacle race which The Fit Green (Woking Fitness Camp) has taken on several times before. But this year it was different.

Having moved from Battersea to Wembley we knew we were in for a new challenge.

Led by matriarch - and part time secret agent - Fiona Sheridan we made the lengthy journey to a part of town known for it’s footballing exploits. 

Expertly led by Fiona...

Entertained by the need for photographic ID, some of us had a longer journey than others. 

By this I especially mean Brandon. He was new to racing, but a peak at his driving license picture - taken in January -when he was 6 stone heavier - gave us an indication of how far he’d come. 

Brandon has lost six stone since January

By his own admission back then he’d have struggled to walk the course - let alone run the complete distance - being on the start line was an achievement in itself.

The long journey was made all the more interesting by our other token ginger - Laura - who shared her luscious red locks with fellow handsome bald man Ben for pictures. 

Ban with hair...

Having made it to the venue we met with Mel (designated driver) and some others for team pictures / banter and several nervous wees...

Team Wee (except Roger)

Being a new race - and being in this part of town - it was difficult to know what to expect - and nobody was disappointed. 

The traversing of stadium concourse was tip of the iceberg. We were soon out of the grounds of the stadium where the organisers had clearly put some thought into the route. 

We made our way out along the river Brent (I think) and had a nice mix of urban areas and mud. 

We slid, climbed, waded and crawled eventually finding our way back into the familiar sight of Wembley Arch to the big wall to finish.

Having opened up a bit I enjoyed setting a good pace (for me) passing many of The Fit Green team en route. So when I hopped the wall at the end to see Jane (36) and Jan (age unknown) who I’d passed at the start I was a little bemused. Especially when they insisted they hadn’t taken a shortcut.

I was shortly followed by Marie (French) who had been suffering with a bad hip, Ben and Brandon. Being a little cold the guys quickly got themselves the other side of the barrier and into the warmth of the beer tent whilst I waited by the wall to help the rest of the team to finish.

Not long after Fiona, Roger and Carol - who for once didn’t take a shortcut - came through the finish line to rapturous applaud from the encouraging crowd - including our team photographers Anna (Amy, Kate or whatever she calls herself) and Sophily. 

Camera Shy... 

Having helped several strangers over the wall I then saw the beaming smile of Tabs clambering off the A-frame. By her own admission she wanted to kiss me. Being young, handsome and bald I thought this was due to my charm, but it turns out it was more to do with the fact I could help over the wall and she knew she had finished.

Tabs, Hannah, Mel & Marie

Escaping my attention Hannah - who is single and looking for love - was ably assisted by a handful of helpful men. A familiar theme for everyone in this type of race - men or women. 

This was quickly followed by the giggling gang of Tash and Josh (lookalikes) and Laura. And finally, Sophie and Anja.

Collecting our stuff, getting changed we headed into the beer tent where we toasted our success with a couple of quiet beers and several very loud ones. 

Beer...

With most of the team electing to hang around we sat in the warm comfortable atmosphere  reminiscing about our race highlights toasting our success. 

We had a brilliant day - everyone absolutely loved the race - and it was great fun to be there as part of a team. Bring on the next race...

www.TheFitGreen.com

The Ultimate Green Smoothie

If you’ve been watching me track my diet on MyFitnessPal or been following my Instagram you’ll notice I’ve been starting my day with a green smoothie.

I’ve been doing this for a couple of reasons...

1. I need to increase my dietary fibre. I have a daily target of 38g. The combination of kale, spinach, frozen berries and an apple gives 13g. 
2. Nitrates.

I’m not fond of nutritionism (the over analysis of food) because I think in a hectic stressful world with disrupted sleep, etc. focusing on individual micronutrients to the exclusion of others is a little short sighted. And looking at the bigger picture can often be a more important.

However, if the examine.com guide to exercise performance is to be believed increasing you nitrates by consuming leafy green vegetables can improve anaerobic (repeated short bursts of intense efforts) and aerobic (longer durations) endurance.

In short, nitrates break down in to nitrites which circulate in the body and are turned into nitric oxide. Elevated nitric oxide improve blood flow and work output.

By improving energy production in cells this is very important for exercise performance.

Whilst examine.com is an independent company set up to scientifically analyze the supplement industry it seems you cannot supplement nitrates due to regulation surrounding sodium nitrate, a food additive frequently added to meat products.

Therefore you’re encouraged to hit your target by consuming leafy greens by incorporating them in your pre workout meal in liquid form 60-120 minutes before exercise.

The research states 500g is enough to seek performance benefits, but I’m afraid I fall a little short. Even with my commitment to improved exercise performance and health I can only squeeze in 200g of green leafy vegetables without it being too disgusting to consume and being too expensive to bother.

But undeterred, I feel the lesser dose will serve me well, and comes with other fringe benefits because green leafy vegetables are a great source of calcium and can aid with liver detoxification.

On a little aside, if you’re taking blood thinning medication warfarin you must consult your doctor due to high levels of vitamin k in green leafy vegetables.

Lately I’ve noticed a renaissance in smoothie making mainly due to the popularity of the nutribullet which by all accounts is the latest ultimate kitchen gadget.

If you’re joining the trend I encourage you to be careful with what you use. Too much of a good thing can do the opposite. For example too much fruit can disrupt blood sugar balance (relevant for weight loss / fat loss & health) and leave you hungry. 

Use sugary fruits sparingly and veer towards berries and apples for best results. And get some vegetables in. Some people also like to add flax seed of something similar for added fibre. But again beware, some of the benefits of flax seed are overstated.

If you want to see to see what’s in my smoothie head over to Instagram.

Running To Get Fit?

“Running is a great way to swap you flabby bits for sore hips, knees and ankles...”

Please don’t misunderstand this article. I love to run. If you take a look at the picture above you’ll see me completing The Trans Britain (six marathons in six days), The Wall (a 67 mile one-day footrace), Ironman France and The Strongman Run in Germany. I’ve done a little bit of running in my time...

Having competed and completed many races from 5k to ultra, both on road and off road, I know a little bit about this stuff too. With a background in strength training, rehab, nutrition, etc. I feel it gives me an chance to offer a little bit of insight.

Beyond this I've helped many other people do it too...

I love to run. I love the freedom. It gives me headspace. I love the fresh air. For me finishing a run (even training runs) brings an incredible amount of elation.

But please don’t mistake it. It may well be an element of do as I say and not what I do...

To quote Boston strength and conditioning coach Eric Cressey...

Running can be a great form of exercise if people... 

1. aren't significantly overweight. 

2. have an appreciable level of strength and flexibility. 

3. don't have significantly degenerative joints. 

4. aren't doing it to the exclusion of other training modalities. 

5. aren't doing it on pavement (or at least do so in moderation) 

6. have the right footwear. 

7. Watch out for traffic.

Again, don’t shoot the messenger. I can only relay what I know from working with hundreds of people, years of study and observation. 

Some of the most jacked up [technical term] people I come across are runners. Most are worse than even the desk bound executives who’ve been sat at a desk for 12 hours a day for 20 years stooped over a keyboard. 

Typically stiff as a board, the tightness through their ankle, hips and upper back/ shoulder girdle prohibit them from being able to move about in a decent range of motion with control to go about daily tasks sitting and standing, picking up stuff from the floor or holding children for a period of time. 

I generalise, obviously these people often maintain a healthy weight and a healthy heart (subject to a healthy nutritional and lifestyle status), but under closer scrutiny their strength, muscular balance and flexibility leave lots to be desired.

Fortunately, there is a growing movement in practitioners ready and able to assess and correct both structural integrity and running form. For example my local physiotherapist has a running school in which they’ll get runners on the treadmill and coach them how to run and teach them strengthening, stretching and stabalising exercises which help them pursue their hobby with less chance of injury. That’s the role of a good coach.

The key point here is about priorities. You need to need to know areas of your body where you are tight and weak and go to work to improve them. You cannot do this by running. Admittedly, you can to this in conjunction with a running program providing your imbalance is not too severe. But your best improvements is sometimes to back off the running and build a foundation of strength.

Please also don’t misunderstand, running is a good form of exercise and should cost you nothing. Unless your coach is watching every step you take you’ve no need to run with a qualified instructor.

With free local clubs like Horsell Runners, The Sweatshop, free apps like Couch to 5k to help you program and running forums on Runners World, if you’re being charged by someone to run someone is clearly taking the piss. You’ll find the experience and the guidance you need for free both on and offline. 

However, admittedly checking for structural integrity is a different kettle of fish. This obviously takes skill and experience. But here are a five simple things you can do to help reduce the risks and make the most out of running...

1. Stretch - take the time after running to stretch muscles. Think calf, hamstrings, quads, glutes and more.
2. Use a foam roller - foam rolling can free off tight muscles. This will work out little knots and adhesions.
3. Strengthen - some simple bodyweight circuits are a great way to cross train. Include squats, lunges, press ups and core exercises.
4. Rest - take a day off. It’s important.
5. Vary distances, terrain and speed - to avoid common overuse injuries you need to do this.

FAT LOSS: Metabolic Resistance Training

If you want to see RAPID and lasting results in fat loss and fitness you need to understand the basics.

The current guidelines suggest a healthy adult should exercise between three and five times per week at a moderate to high intensity between thirty and sixty minutes and it should be cardiovascular exercise

...judging by the state of the nation these generic, boring and inadequate recommendations seem to be working?!

The sad truth of the matter is they don’t.

Following the government exercise protocols combined with the government guidelines on nutrition will leave you fat and unhappy at best.

Why So Complicated

Before I tell you the truth I need you to understand how we have arrived at where we are...

For a long time the mantra ‘eat less, move more’ has haunted the masses. In the old days the only way to improve the way you looked was to go on a low calorie diet and go running.

If you look back at some of the old pictures from yesteryear closely whilst from afar they were admirable somewhat tragically these people under closer inspection were not so hot.

With the sharp reduction in calories and obvious lack of efficient exercise these people looked kind of skinny fat. They might have fitted into a pair of jeans, but the absence of muscle tone meant they didn’t look any better with their clothes off.

Bodybuilding.

Fast-forward a few years and with the popularity of Arnie movies bodybuilding became popular.

For guys lifting weights and staring in the mirror admiring themselves between sets for a couple of minutes became the way to go.

The benefits of strength training became popular, but this was a very masculine way to train, and despite the obvious chemical advantage of the movie stars, guys went in there droves and followed the plan and invariably didn’t get the look they wanted.

Aerobics.

At this time aerobics became popular. Dressing in leotards, sweatbands and hopping back and forth over boxes was the only way to burn fat and this was popular.

You could trade your flabby unpleasant bits for achy hips, knees and ankles and this was the perfect compliment to life's excesses.

Unsurprisingly this craze continues today, however now it’s called Zumba and involves more dancing and co-ordination than before.

Today.

Step into the new millennium and despite an abundance of evidence to the contrary cardiovascular training and strength training are still seen as separate exclusive entities.

More worryingly women are scared of strength-training for fear of becoming bulky and guys are scared of cardiovascular exercise becoming skinny. The irony is neither is true.

Strength Training

Strength-training will not make women (or most guys that matter) bulky. The truth is they don’t have the right hormones to elicit this response.

Strength training is fantastic for women (and guys). It stabilizes joints, balances the body and can tone muscles that your typical cardiovascular training cannot reach.

The trouble is using the same outdated principles bodybuilders in the 80’s used mean it will not make an inference on body fat especially when combined with a terrible diet.

The Cardio Myth

Similarly cardiovascular training will not have a meaningful effect on body composition due to the way many people go about it.

Slow and steady cardio has many shortfalls. With latest research saying it does not have the impact on metabolism many people think with much of the weight loss coming from muscle hence the skeletal look of many runners.

This combined with the joint pain; discomfort and boredom make it a double whammy.

Good information?

With the birth of the Internet we are now better informed than ever. By typing into Google ‘fat loss’, ‘exercise’ or ‘diet’ you will have over a million hits and will be inundated with options to help you get fit.

The trouble with this is not all of it is factually correct and with that much contradictory advice comes a certain degree of paralysis.

Too much knowledge means people don’t know where to start.

Therefore the question of what do I do to get in shape still remains...

How To Get In Shape

In truth, there are hundreds of ways to get in shape. I’ve already alluded to a couple.

It would be remiss of me to say they have no benefits. Some are just more effective than others.

My preference and the most-effective training method I have found is a training method called metabolic resistance training. These workouts are popular with the people in the know.

Supported by science, and tried and tested on the gym floor, metabolic resistance training or MRT is the perfect compromise of cardiovascular and strength training.

In fact I’ve used it to get hundreds of men and women in shape.

To be honest, for many the benefits have to be seen to be believed.

MRT is quite simply strength training with incomplete recovery.

By carefully pairing exercises you can get much of the benefits of strength training (muscle tone, increased stability, etc) and due to the short recovery time between exercises it has a cardiovascular response (accelerated fat loss, out of breath and sweaty!).

Often the workouts are of shorter duration and slightly higher intensity making them the perfect solution to the time-challenged person.

Metabolic resistance training can also be done using bodyweight exercises. Or with equipment like barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, the prowler, tractor tires or farmers walk.

Characterized by the short blasts of intense efforts and whole body routines the workouts follow a 600 rule.

The aim of each short and intense workout is to get every one of your 600 muscles to work hard. This might on occasion include a frown, a grimace or a smile!

The Afterburn Effect

Using multiple sets of between five and thirty repetitions of each exercise MRT stimulates the exact metabolic processes needed to create The Afterburn Effect.

It is this Afterburn Effect that makes it so effective. Research indicates in isocaloric comparisons MRT is more effective than either strength training or cardiovascular training for fat burning. This is due to something called EPOC.

EPOC or Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption is quite simply the recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels. Many people are fixated with calorie expenditure during exercise and have totally overlooked what happens afterwards.

The truth is once you have finished exercise it can take several minutes for your metabolism to return to pre-exercise rate with light exercise or several hours for something more intense or vigorous.

This means with MRT you could continue burning fat at an elevated level for up to 48hrs after a workout. This is why it is so effective. Imagine burning more calories each day without even exercising...

Muscle Confusion

With hundreds of exercises to choose from the mini circuit style workouts tend to focus on larger compound or wholebody exercises for maximum metabolic impact and being shorter duration they are easy to fit into your busy and hectic lifestyle and they’re fun and challenging too.

Ultrasound Body Fat Analysis

Don’t be weighed down by the scales!

I like measurable results, but time and time again the scales offer a poor reflection of the hard work you put in. 

A transient measure in many cases, the scales make no inference as to subtle changes in body composition and hydration and therefore can be misleading.

Ultrasound Body Fat Testing

Committed to offering you the most cutting edge information on health, fitness and fat loss, I dedicate myself to raising the bar, evolving and redefining my already tried and tested fitness and nutrition systems.

And now I’ve taken it one step further...

I’ve been using calipers for many years and watch with concern the embarrassment of even my fittest my clients when I uncomfortably pinch. 

I’ve also had my clients step on what I consider to be hugely inaccurate bio-electrical impedance scales. 

But now I’m pleased to offer ultrasound body fat analysis which can quickly and accurately track fat loss, muscle gain and hydration without pinching.

A true barometer of success, your weight may fluctuate up to 5lbs per day due water retention, dehydration, menstrual cycles, poor digestion and increase of lean muscle tissue. And so, this is important information you need to know.

Key benefits to ultrasound body fat testing: 

• It’s simple, quick and comfortable
• No more uncomfortable pinching or inaccurate scales
• Know your true body fat in under 15 minutes
• 100% safe - it’s the technology used to see babies in the womb!

How does it work?

Ultrasound waves penetrate tissue and reflections occur at different tissue boundaries. For example, the fat-muscle and muscle-bone boundaries create strong ultrasound reflections. 

The ultrasound machine detects these reflections and is able to calculate the true fat thickness at multiple measurement sites in your body (7 sites). 

These measurements are then entered into the same equation used with calipers to accurately determine your body fat %. 

And unlike other methods, these measurements aren’t affected by caffeine intake, hydration or exercise level giving you consistent and reliable results!

What else do you get? 

From the testing we do you will receive a personal report which will tell you:

• Your body fat percentage and what category of health this puts you in for your age.
• Your healthy fat, excess fat, and muscle mass
• Your basal metabolic rate
• Your relative disease risks
• Your point thickness, weight, bodyfat, and circumference trends graphed over time.

If you’re interested in Ultrasound Body Fat Testing (no personal training required) call me today to request your initial assessment for just £97. All follow up assessments will be priced at £67.

During the assessment, you will have access to your results right in front of you. After the assessment, you will receive detailed feedback of your results via email.