Training Footwear

When it comes to training, in your everyday commercial gym footwear is generally overlooked; most people will be wearing some form of Nike Air or something similar. However, those people in the know will not, they will be wearing something much better focussed for lifting. 

To avoid boring you with all the science, trainers like Nike Air's upset your foot's balance, positioning and control. This cushioned sole is soft  and squidgy and generally has a high heel so the back of your foot is much higher than the front which isn't always the best position, yet there are times when this is useful but this is only accomplished through proper weightlifting shoes. 

So the people in the know, what do they wear. Well 9 times out of 10 they will be wearing Converse all stars, probably the best, cheapest and long lasting training shoes available. However, you will also see them doing their big, heavy lifts like squats and deadlifts barefoot. This gets them close to the ground, especially with deadlifts so the bar has to travel that little bit less further. 

The thing with Converse is that they are great for lifting conventional weights like your squats and deadlifts. But what happens when you want to do some Olympic lifting, Strongman work or conditioning work with the Prowler and various other sleds. 

Well, they are pretty useless. You will have very little foot support, little grip and they are not a pure bare foot feel; which a lot of people argue is the best way to train. Which explains why people perform squats and deadlifts along with various other leg exercises barefoot. 

For performing Olympic lifts, weightlifting shoes are the answer. They give you a high heel, are built very well so are sturdy and give you a solid planted feel which help you get that better form and push that little bit more weight. These types of shoes will help your performance and develop your muscles even better. 

Do-Win 2010 weightlifting shoes

Adidas Power Perfect II

The only drawback with these shoes is that they are highly specific and only should be used on Olympic lifts and power lifts, and they are expensive. The Do-Win are the cheaper of the two and can be found for around £70, however the Adidas are £100. That's a lot of money for some training shoes that cannot be used for everything in the gym. 

So what many people use, myself included, are bare foot designed shoes. These generally include Nike Free, Adidas Adipure and Vibram FiveFingers. I personally use the Vibram's and I think they are the best investment I have made in my training. 

Nike Free

Adidas Adipure

Vibram FiveFingers 

For me the Vibrams won the selection as the Adidas were not available in the UK and the Nike Free were reported to not be as stable. 

The Vibrams have a rubber sole which grips on any surface, they are LIGHT, it feels like you have nothing on your feet, the strap systems helps lock them tight on your feet so your feet don't slide about in them. 

I've noticed that the Vibrams have helped my training in nearly all areas. When lifting weights my feet are planted and grip well; and as they are bare foot your muscles, especially in your calves become more involved leading to better muscular development and performance. When doing strongman and conditioning work involving the prowler and speed sleds my feet grip so much better so I can run harder and push more weight on the sleds. Previously my feet would slip whenever I went really heavy and I could not push the weight, with these however I have zero issues. Also when doing Olympic lifts my feet are planted and grip the floor well. 

The only area which I have found them to not great is running. I own the Sprint model (the one's in the picture) and they are extreme bare foot. Even though they are advertised for running, I would recommend going for a model with more support, maybe the KSO or Komodo Sport. 

People don't like Vibrams because they look odd, they're expensive, some people even say they look queer. But at the end of the day it's about maximising your performance in the gym, and these do. These are the best shoes I have used in the gym and I doubt I will use anything else apart from other Vibram models. Training isn't about looking good or whatever else people think it's about; it is about PERFORMANCE, and the Vibrams have improved my performance, and I could pretty much guarantee they will increase your own too. Give them a try, you will not be disappointed. 

Good Evening!

Kai Greene

No words needed, you should all understand what he is saying. If you don't, then open your mind.

Enjoy!

Graduate Life

"Many a one has finally succeeded only because he has failed after repeated efforts. If he had never met defeat he would never have known any great victory." -Orison Swett Marden

This is very applicable to me, other graduates or anyone who is in a situation where don't feel like they are succeeding, for example getting a job they want. 


I have a undergraduate degree and a Masters degree and have been working since I finished my GCSEs, led teams, done coaching and development stuff with my own team and new members of teams I have been involved with yet still I have not got a graduate job. All that money spent on education and it feels like I have nothing to show for it. It's a horrible feeling, especially when you know you can succeed.


But you know what; I will not give up, and when I finally succeed, that victory will be the best feeling ever. Eric Thomas taught me, "Pain is temporary, but eventually it will subside. After pain there is only success." These words probably are the most truest sentiment ever spoken by a human and I thank him for teaching me this. This is what keeps me going when times are hard. 


I know one day victory shall be mine and I will not give up, neither should you. If you are in a situation like mine then you have my support, we will keep on going and we will succeed. 


Pain is Temporary. 


Good Afternoon. 

Interesting Quote

"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: The music is nothing if the audience is deaf." -Walter Lippmann

This explains why people don't understand my genius LOL. 

Best Training Tip Ever!

Remember this for it will serve you well for the rest of your life:

Always take a dump BEFORE you train, even if you ain't sure, go sit on the toilet.

Read this now and thank me later.

Have a great day readers!

Bruce Lee Quote

"I have always been buffeted by circumstances because I thought of myself as a human being affected by outside conditioning. Now I realise that I am the power that commands the feeling of my mind from which circumstances grow" - Bruce Lee

I am not going to go into more detail on this.

Some of you will truly understand that, some will not. For those who don't, I pray that you can open your mind to at least try to comprehend it.

Good Evening

Good Article on Training Motivation

This is a good article on how to stay motivated during your training life.

How to Stay Motivated - Matt Kroc

Something to get you thinking.

We are all guilty of taking things for granted, but sometimes when we think about this we only really think about the luxury items in our lives; cars, phones, laptops; stuff like this, you all know what I'm talking about here. But when you think about it deeply how many of us actually take the most basic things in our lives for granted?

Know what I'm talking about?

Everything we have around us, everything we have in our developed countries; there is someone in the world that does not have them. We live in proper houses and roof's over our head that protect us from the elements, we have safe running water, proper drainage systems, clothes, electricity, gas, food on our tables and this list goes on. How many of us actually take a second to think and realise how lucky we are. Yet we still go around disappointed when we don't get something new and shiny; this could be a new phone or a new car or even going out to eat.

I recently lost my car and I have been completely lost without it, even though I hated it and did not want it in the first place I started taking it for granted, and when I lost it I realised how much I depended on it everyday.

What I'm saying is that try not to be disappointed or annoyed for the things that you don't have, but be thankful and appreciate the things you do have, especially the basic things that allow us to live in the modern world; I'll list some of them again just to drill it home; the safe running water, electricity, gas, clothes, food. We should be hugely thankful that we are not struggling to survive. How many of you say grace/thanks before you eat your meals? I know I don't, but I'm trying to change that to show I actually do appreciate it because while I'm eating, someone else isn't.

I'm not saying that I don't taking anything for granted, because I do, but I'm trying to change that and say thanks for everything I am grateful for that allows me to live comfortably. I read a book that said every morning when you wake up you say THANK YOU, and then list everything you are thankful and grateful for. This really sets you up positively for the day and gets your mind right to have a great day.

I think we should all try to do this and be thankful for everything, it'll make you feel better and make you feel more positive about life. Give it a try and see what you think,  but don't give up straight away.

Good Evening readers!

Epic F1 moment

Hilarious moment from the 2011 Canadian GP, enjoy!

F1 2012

I loved F1, have done for years. This year is proving to be nail-bitingly epic; the uncertainty is great as it is near impossible to predict who will be close to winning the championship at the end of the year; let alone who will win the championship. It is so exciting and I am sure that all other Formula 1 fans will agree with me, the uncertainty is not killing the sport and confusing the fans, it makes the sports so much more interesting!

There is one problem I have though, Sky Sports coverage, well not so the coverage but the presentation. It is way too formal and boring. BBC presentation and the presenters are head and shoulders above the Sky Sports team and the programming is much more enjoyable. The pre-show, post-show and especially the F1 forum is epic in comparison to what Sky provide. The most important thing for me personally is the in-depth analysis that is done by the BBC team which is lacking from the Sky F1 channel. The analysis and interviews are much more insightful and interesting, I love the way that the guys will end up interviewing random people and get great answers from them. Additionally the way that the BBC team will always get the interview with the people that the fans want to hear from is exceptional.

I think Sky can improve, but I do not think that they will be able to present their show better than the BBC. DC is a great pundit and an excellent commentator, Eddie Jordan offers good insight into team dynamics and completes great interviews, Jake presentation is professional yet fun and Ben is a great partner to DC.

These are my thoughts and of course not everyone will agree, however I am not bothered; I am entitled to my right to free speech.

Good Evening readers!

Good Article

This is a good read, check it out; the author discusses the importance of getting good sleep.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_i_really_train

Motivation Mixtape

This is an awesome motivation mixtape full of motivational and inspirational speeches, great to listen to on your way to work or whenever you need something to get you going again. Eric Thomas one hell of a great speaker, really great guy.

This is good for all sorts of situations; training, work, studies and life in general.

Give it a download and see for yourself, follow the man on twitter @Ericthomasbtc, facebook: ET The Hip Hop Preacher.

Intro -   Ambition   Interview 1   I'm Driven   Twenty-Four   Hustle Hard   Magic School Bus   Work Hard   Interview 2   The Flu   Competitive Edge   The Classic   Interview 3   Harvard   Adele   Something Good   Interview 4   Cal Ripkens   Midnight Reign   Bonus Interview

Download ET Inspires Mixtape

Motivation

You shouldn't need motivation....but here is some anyway! Listen loud.

My thoughts on protein powder

I'm constantly getting asked, "which protein powder do you use?" or "what protein powder do you recommend?" and to be honest it really grinds my gears (in the words of the immortal Peter Griffin). 

That's because protein is just protein, nothing fancy like other formulas and products. Yeah there are different types, whey, casein and blends; but this doesn't mean that each protein powder is massively different from one another and thus each will cause a huge difference in results. 

What you need to do is choose when your taking it, most likely it'll be post workout, in which case 99% of the time you're going to want whey or a blend. Casein you have as a slow release so before bed or before long periods of time where you will not be eating for many hours. 

The key things to focus on when choosing a protein powder are the following:

• Taste - if you're having it regularly you'll want something that you will enjoy, especially if your dieting.
• Sugar and fat content - in protein powders this wants to be as low as possible, no questions. Weights gainers are a completely different animal. 
• Whey or a blend - fast digesting or a mix, depends what you like. Personally I prefer a blend, always have done. 
• Quantity/Value for money - protein shakes will be the supplement that you consume most often, so ideally it should come in a big a serving as possible at the best value for money. 
• Protein content - some protein powders will give you more protein per serving than others, giving your muscles a better supply of protein, but this can be overcome by simply having more than 1 scoop. 

This should make it simpler to choose a protein powder, ideally you want to be looking for something as cheap as possible. 

Currently I'm using this in strawberry flavour. Its good, decent protein content. It's derived from Raw Milk/Organic Milk so it's different to many others on the market. However it uses natural flavouring, so no sugars or sweeteners, so to a lot of people the taste will not appeal. Highly recommended though. 

Gaspari Myofusion has always been one I enjoyed and was a very good profile. Strawberry tastes awesome! They have the new pro-biotic version which is meant to be even better as it contains digestive enzymes to help you digest it. 

One protein you cannot argue with is Myprotein Impact Whey, 5kg for £54 - now that is #winning. The protein content is a little lower, sugar isn't too bad. With this size though it lasts forever and you can have a hell of a lot more than other brands and still get better value for money. 

Myprotein also due the True Whey which is also great value, tastes a bit better, but has added Branched Chain Amino Acids and Glutamine and digestive enzymes; this is a very impressive profile. Would recommend this one also. 

One of my all time favourites though has to be the Dorian Yates Tempro. The taste is great, its a blend of 7 different proteins, very high protein content, low sugar. The only problem is that it comes in a small tub, still lasts a while however. The brand does not seem to be that popular, however Dorian Yates products have always worked for myself and I love them, others may not have the same results of course. Banana flavour is epic!

So there's my thoughts, I hope I've made it simpler for people out there. Protein should be the easiest thing to buy from the vast range of supplements on the market. Remember everyone is different and may not agree with what I have, if that's the case I don't care, I've been training long enough to know what's what in the industry. 

Love your Training, thanks for reading. 

Training Tip

It doesn't matter what anyone else tells you...you train for what YOU want to train for, what YOU want to achieve, you train towards YOUR goals. Other people are just distractions and will stop you from achieving your goals, yes they might offer you advice but make sure you still work towards YOUR goals. Do not get distracted by other people's training in the gym, their routines, how much they bench/squat/deadlift...just focus on what YOU want to achieve.

The Beginning!

Finally set up my blog...after several weeks of saying I was going to, I have finally got it done #winning.

So this is going to be a blog about MY thoughts and opinions, and of course #mywordsofwisdom. I'll be talking about life, positive thinking, motivation, and a lot of it will be about training and lifting heavy weights #yeahbuddy. It's pretty much a little something to increase my exposure and you know what; to trying increase my "employability". I have a loose tongue so I will try my best to keep that calm, however I do use colourful language to express my feelings.

Feel free to share this blog amongst your friends and family :)