Hey!!
I hope you had time to chill out over the weekend, I have been super busy trying to go between 2 locations………..will be great to have everything in one place very soon 🙂
So now you know we have that one thing that can make a huge difference to your training – here are some more!
Dumbells
Dumbells are probably the most important training tool of all. Probably moreso than the power rack – thats really important!!
Why?
1) Well, they facilitate movement more fluidly than with a barbell, and so may be easier on the shoulders in terms of placement.
2) They can make an exercise easier via a lower centre of gravity (compare barbell squats to a sumo dumbell squat).
3) They provide a pulling movement………….which is why our Bootcamp’s are the only COMPLETE BOOTCAMP around. You might hear of these ‘army’ bootcamps, and they have dozens of press ups and burpees and then run you into the ground! Let me ask you this:
If you do a few hundred press ups a week (mainly a ‘chest’ exercise) …….. and no upper back work……..
Do you think your shoulders might start hurting through an imbalance caused by the training?
The bottom line? You need to ‘pull’ as much as you ‘push’ – and what with all the sitting down we all do nowadays………….I would say to do more pulling that pushing!
Which brings me onto the next bit of equipment:
Pull up equipment
Pull ups/chin ups are simply AMAZINGLY GOOD YOUR YOU!!
1) They can help stabilise the shoulder joint (helping back and shoulder pain……….or FUTURE back and shoulder problems)
2) They burn a load of calories. As I wrote about in this article a few years ago (click to read) . What will burn more calories? Pulling your body weight, which could be 60+ kg………..or bicep curling a 15kg barbell? Enough said.
3) They look badass.
A woman who can do a chin up or 2? Impressive.
A man who can bang out 10 chin ups with ease? Also impressive.
Unfortunately, the days when chin up bars were commonplace in schools have been relegated as ‘they’re too dangerous.’ Phooey. I once heard a top coach say, ‘if you’re male and cannot do 1 pull up/ chin up….you’re either too weak or too fat!’
Get practicing, and get eating right.
Olympic Bar with Bumper plates
Some gyms don’t like you to drop weights……….and I’m fine with that (sometimes). There is not a lot more annoying that someone who drops some heavy dumbells about 2 foot from you……….just to say:
“Hey! Look at me and the weights I am lifting!”
Whats that? You didnt see me ? Well Im gonna make you HEAR me! ‘
There is a time, and there is a place to drop weights…………………..and it should not be in a busy ‘plush’ gym, with grandma sat on the abductor/adductor machine about an arms length away! It shouldnt be every set either. At Your Next Level fitness, the bumper plates allow deadlifting, and olympic lifting to be done with high intensity, and we can also allow less soreness through some adaptations we can make. We can drop them if we need to – but this is not every set and this is without annoying others, in a random environment. Because let’s be honest, probably one full month never goes by without you having to change your path because of somebody else training nearby.
At Your Next Level Fitness – it is appointment only. Train hard – but train safe!
- Look out for the final installment coming soon!
- John
- PS By popular demand(!)…. there is a new bootcamp class on a wednesday night at 6.30pm. This is another opportunity to train hard with like-minded people in fresh air, with different challenges to what you are used to. Ask me questions at john@yournextlevelfitness.co.uk 😉
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