Supplements - the why & how!

These are a list of supplements I take & why - this is personal to me & just for information, not to be taken as to what you SHOULD or NEED to do. It varies from person to person & will not supplement a good, nutritious diet!

Whey Protein Powder - I personally use Bulk Powders Pure Whey Protein (they have a pretty large range of flavours for competitive prices) due to value & also due to the macro breakdown - 122 calories, 24g protein, 2g fat & 1.5g carbs per 30g scoop. I use roughly 1.25 scoop post workout to yield roughly 30g of protein per serving - protein is the building block of muscle building & helps to repair the muscle torn whilst training & therefore help the muscle grow. I also use another 1.25 scoop during the day as a meal/snack.

BCAAs - I'm currently using a combination of Muscle Pharm BCAAs & MyProtein BCAAs just as they need to be used! They are powdered BCAAs which I mix into my pre & post workout shakes, although the Muscle Pharm ones are SUPER strong in flavour so I wouldn't suggest mixing with a flavoured post workout shake. BCAAs or Branch Chain Amino Acids is a combination of the three main amino acids - Leucine, Isoleucine & Valine - they are used to aid recovery & reduce muscle soreness. A lot of people also use them intra workout as opposed to just pre & post.

Vitargo - I use Vitargo post workout - in my protein shake - to rapidly refuel glycogen stores that have been depleted during training. Now Vitargo from Bulk Powders again, so a glucose/carb supplement can also come under different names!

Creatine - Again, my Creatine is from Bulk Powders & I use it pre & post workout within my shakes. Creatine increases ATP production, which is supposed to aid in increased power, strength & endurance. Although you should take into consideration how much Creatine is in your pre-workout if using one & also Creatine is generally cycled with two weeks on/two weeks off due to stress it can put on your liver.

Pre-Workout - Now the use of Pre-Workout is a completely personal choice, some people believe that the effects are purely in the mind with a placebo type effect, some people think that pre-workouts have a genuine effect on their performance & training. I personally do not care which one of these it is - as long as I have a damn good session! I'm currently using Mutant Mayhem, though my go to pre-workout was Gaspari Nutrition Super Pump Max - you can build a tolerance to some formulas if used for a long periods of time. Pre-workouts generally contain a stimulant, normally caffeine, which gives you the energy boost - along with products like guarana. Vasodilators, such as L-Carnitine or Arginine,  are used to increase the blood flow to the muscles & therefore the pump. They can also contain Beta-Alanine which is used for similar effects of Creatine & can create that tingly feeling some people get using a pre-workout. Other ingredients can include Citrulline (used to fight muscle fatigue), Creatine & BCAAs. Pre-workouts tend to have a relatively high stimulant level so if not used before test your tolerance with a smaller than recommended dose. I generally like to use pre-workout the majority of the time I train - the most noticeable thing in my experience is increased energy & an increased pump due to the increased blood flow.

Glucosamine - Glucosamine Sulphate is generally used to aid joint pain & therefore have a positive impact on training through pain reduction & joint issues.

I am not a nutritionist & again these are just products are use, so my word is not gospel & if there is any information you feel is incorrect feel free to say! But I hope this helps anyone who is interested in the basics of supplements!

Posing Practice

Posing is my BIGGEST concern when it comes on stage... I could have THE best package (I am by no means saying I will) but not show it through bad posing. Likewise I could have an okay package, but make it appear ten times better through fantastic posing.

I also have a massive fear of falling over, slipping, ankle turning over etc etc on stage - so practicing is CRUCIAL.

I already have my posing shoes - 4.5 inches high & 0.25 inch front 'platform' according to UKBFF new regulations - with clear straps & stiletto heels. Surpriiiiisingly comfortable & relatively easy to walk in (purchased off Fabulicious on Ebay). So have been attempting to practice my walk & quarter turns.

I've watched many a video of Nicole Wilkins, Candice Keene, Alicia Coates... & the list goes on - but I think I am going to struggle most with the transitions between quarter turns. The flow from one pose to the next. But practice makes proficient & presentation is key.

I intend to attend a posing class or two prior to my show (dates for half days & full day poses classes can be found on the UKBFF Facebook page, £50 half a day - just posing - & £95 full day - regulations, posing & presentation) to get some feedback from those best in the know. As well as going to see shows, including BodyPower & possibly NABBA shows.

Recently I purchased the Women's Pre Contest Bible & read that Nicole Wilkins practices for 20 + minutes 4 times a week - so I better get my practice on! Especially to get that smile in check... I currently have a terrible creepy nervous smile going on...

Leggings : ICanIWill

Sports Bra : Nike

Posing Shoes : Fabulicious

When NOT to Train Past the Pain - Training with Injuries.

Is is rare that someone who trains seriously - as an athlete, for their own well being, a bodybuilder, whatever it may be - will never sustain some sort of injury. Whether that is down to error in training or biomechanical issues.

The phrase 'Train Past the Pain' gets thrown around quite frequently - but you need to know when the pain is an ACTUAL problem & not just you pushing your limits for that extra rep or two.

First & foremost this is based on MY experience & I am not a qualified physician, physiotherapist etc! But I have suffered my fair share of injuries, predominantly due to biomechanical issues. Most recently suprasprinatus tendonitis, impingement & a rotator cuff tear, previous to that issues with my IT band & previous to that issues with my lower back. & constantly, shin splints.

Now I do train through certain 'injuries' & issues I have. Less seriously shin splints - I have been told to rest to prevent shin splints. Six weeks rest. Now for me this does not work. I can rest for six months & still have shin splints. So this is something I just tend to deal with & take preventative measures for (my shin splints are due to tight calves/achilles tendons) - so I just add extra stretching in & try & wear the appropriate shoes as I can shin splints when I WALK let alone run & they really do hurt...

Last year I had pretty severe tendinitis which led to impingement & a tear. For this I did take around 8 weeks off due to the damage it had caused over time leading to a weakening rotator cuff & a lot of pain during upper body training & even just holding weights. I also had around 12 sessions of physiotherapy involving manipulation, massage & ultra sound - as well as doing continuing rehabilitation. However due to the severity of the tendinitis I have scar tissue build up, which means that it can more easily impinge which would then lead to further time off - which would NOT be ideal when preparing for competition or even generally to have to take time off training. So again I need to take preventative measures, a lot of the time I try not to push myself too much regarding the weight I lift for shoulder sessions - instead of trying to lift as heavy as I can I tend to utilize drop sets which tend to work better for me. I also don't train chest full stop, flies & chest press of any kind aggravate the issue 100 times more than ANY other movement. Now some people are against not training one whole muscle group, which is understandable due to muscle imbalance etc - but for me I would rather be able to train than not. I recently received information from Nicole Wilkins (on her members video Q&A) that when she suffered with tendinitis in her shoulder she still trained, however she would only train portions of movements - for example when doing an anterior raise if doing the full movement & range of motion would cause pain, she would train a portion of the movement with less range of motion to avoid it. Though I have been left slightly asymmetrical which needs to be addressed ASAP.

Pain is subjective yes. But YOU know when you're body is aching & sore from killing training, or when something isn't right. & first thing is first, if you are in pain & you don't know why SEE SOMEONE. In my opinion even if it's nothing, better to get it looked at than continue training through an unknown pain & then have to take weeks or months out because of it. & preventative action is always better than fixing the problem after it has occurred. So foam rolling, stretching, sports massage, rest days & just generally listening to your body is SO important.

So don't always TRAIN PAST THE PAIN.

My FAVOURITE movements for each muscle group!

I thought let you all in on my FAVOURITE movements & exercises which I tend to incorporate into my training programs which give me the best mind muscle connection & an awesome pump!!

Shoulders - I have a pretty bad shoulder injury which is basically permanent now (tendinitis which caused impingement which has lead to a build up of scar tissue) so I have to be super careful when training shoulders. But it's my FAVOURITE body part to train & my favourite shoulder movement is definitely lat raises! These tend to give me the BIGGEST pump - & you gotta love the pump! I prefer to do them seated with dumbbells as it reduces the amount of room for using the rest of your body & the 'swing' to get the dumbbells up! It also means I HAVE to go from the sides of the body as oppose to the front, working on the lateral delt & the cap! My delts are one of my weaker parts aesthetically so I have concentrate on keeping the eccentric slow & the motion constant.

Back - my back is probably the strongest feature I have currently & I find the movement which gives me the most mind muscle connection is T-Bar Rows. I feel like personally it helps me develop thickness & width through rolling out my lats at the end of the movement - it feels particularly good doing heavy drop sets!

Arms - I struggle with training arms big style. My shoulder injury means I find it quite difficult, so again I'm very careful when training arms. But I LOVE incline curls. Because of the bench behind me it tends to mean I have to stabilize less & also have less chance of rolling my shoulder during reps. Again it gives me a good pump & I tend to do these at the start of a session to increase the feeling in other movements.

Hamstrings - I have to be boring here & say leg curls are my favourite. Generally I prefer a lying leg curl but the most important thing to me for this movement is HEAVILY utilising the eccentric/negatives. I do at least ten super, superrrrr slow negative full range of motion reps followed by ten regular, or slightly shorter motion reps.

Quads - again, boring. Leg extensions. Leg extensions are the best & the worst of the movements. They just always seem to hurt so incredibly & give the craziest pumps. My leg days tend to include volume, so I will normally do 20 reps as heavy & controlled as I can. This will often include a rest pause if I really need it!

Glutes - more of a compound movement but split squats are amazing but HARD. I tend to start a session with split squats to get my glutes firing nicely for the rest of the session. They look so simple but require so much balance & always make it burn! I normally do them with a dumbbell in each hand, with my rear foot on a bench to be able to lunge/squat deeper.

Hope you're all found this interesting & you give these all a go! :)

(P.s all these images are from bodybuilding.com & it's gigantic selection of exercise guides so if you're ever feeling uninspired writing your programs go here!)

ICanIWill Tights Review!

I have a problem. It's a relatively expensive & debilitating problem... I love gym tights,

I mean I really, really love gym tights - I must have over twenty pairs of varying colours, styles & brands. So when my training partner & close friend entrapped me & played on my weakness, I caved.

ICanIWill is a brand I had never seen or heard of before. Probably due to it being a Swedish brand & site. But now I'm staring at it's pages at least once a day dreaming of my next purchase... The site is in Swedish Kroner (being Swedish... duh) with shipping being FREE to orders over 500 sek (about 40 gbp). & shipping only took five days!! (My poor friend waited two days to open then with me...)

But HANDS DOWN the best I have ever bought, particularly in relation to the price (roughly 40 gbp). First & foremost they are not in the LEAST bit see through - so much so when I tried them initially I was wearing bright red underwear, & considering these are pale grey & white mostly, there was zero visibility. Even bent over stiff legged deadlift style. NOTHING. Frankly amazing.

The material is similar to the Six Deuce legging material, but I have had no issues with snagging at all in this pair. Plus it has superrrr thick strings around the waist to tighten the waistband if required, though I find these a liiiiittle annoying cause the plastic ends itch me a little... I double checked the sizings in these measuring to the T just to be on the safe side & the size I chose in comparison to the size guide were perfect, in particularly in length.

In addition to all this awesomeness, they sent a little post it note pack of 'ICanIWill' stickies, a 'Whatever it takes' wristband, it came wrapped in awesome blue tissue paper in a little 'ICanIWill' bag AND it had a hand written note apologising for the delay (which didn't happen). OH & the label inside is awesome.

So overall opinion - AMAZING. I NEED MORE.

Find them on Instagram : ICanIWill.se

December Vs. January Vs. February Progress!

This month's progress photos! From beginning of January to the beginning of February ( December's photo also included from left to right ), though some discrepancies with the clothing I do apologise as I'm aware it can make things look slightly different!

So definite progress! Which I'm sure is 80% down to the diet I have been on, as the progress in four weeks is quite large really as oppose to previous progress photos. My waist has tightened a fair amount which is making my back look a lot wide & also improves the appearance of my glutes. I feel like my posing has also improved (I subscribed to Nicole Wilkins website & she posted videos on posing & they're so helpful & amazing!) , however my right shoulder has a tendency to roll back & sit lower than my left due to injury!

Side progress isn't quite as evident in my opinion - & not pulling my abs in tight enough! Some shoulder progress is a little evident, a little more fullness. Although my glutes are looking fuller & rounder from the back, they aren't so much from the side so we shall have to see how this progresses...

Next week I'll post about some of my workout routine I've been using predominantly!

Diet Products - The Misconceptions

A lot of people will buy a product because it says 'diet' on it - & this is no different with supplements & protein products. & this is not me dismissing diet products or saying they don't work - because for some they do! - I am just saying be aware of WHY these products are considered diet products, don't just assume they are lower in calories, fat etc due to the word 'diet'.

Diet products are generally targeted at women - because women are filled with messages & concepts that they should be on a diet, or a certain size, or a certain way through the media, other people etc but FUCK THAT - but anyone who buys a diet product should understand what 'diet' entails.

A LOT of supplements - whey, protein bars - which have the word 'diet' attached to them or on their label, will not be for the reasons you would expect. To me - a diet product would have less calories, fat, carbs, something along those lines, but some are the opposite. Some diet products have MORE calories, more fat, more carbs - the reason they are considered 'diet' is due to the extra ingredients.

Extra ingredients such as: green tea extract, guarana, L-carnitine, CLA or some form of thermogenic - essentially products which would be considered to help increase metabolism.

Example of a 'regular' 'full fat' whey protein powder.

Example of a 'Diet' whey protein powder.

The example above demonstrates this - the diet product has 4 less calories, but the diet has 1.8 grams of fat as opposed to 1.6 grams of the regular (although it does have less saturated fat) & the diet product has 3.8 grams of carbs per serving in comparison to the regular products 1.9 grams. In addition you would have to have more than a 25g serving of diet product to yield 20 grams of protein.

Now I am not saying diet products shouldn't be used or are no good, BUT I am making you aware of WHY they are diet products.

I hope this was helpful! :)