Issue 150

January 2017

Unless you’re a full-time pro athlete, nobody has time to spend an hour or two in the weights room a couple of days a week. But you can still get fit enough to compete with a consistent and intelligent workout.

Brendan Chaplin, fitness coach to a multitude of fighters and Olympians, insists huge gains are just three workouts a week away. You just have to double-up on your super-sets to increase muscle size, lower body fat and dramatically bolster muscular power.

Do as many reps as possible for the first exercise of a super-set. When you start to fatigue, do as many reps as you can for the second exercise. Keep alternating between the two for seven minutes and make a note of how many reps you did.

Take a one-minute break and repeat the process on the second super-set of the day. Try to improve the number of reps you do for each exercise the next time.

MONDAY: SUPERSETS 1 & 2

ONE

1: SQUATS

Rest a barbell on the back of your shoulders. Bend your knees and lower yourself until your upper legs touch your lower legs. Power through your heels to rise.

2: HAMSTRING CURLS

Lie on the machine with your ankles under the pads and torso pressed flat on the platform. Bend your knees to curl the pad up until it touches your glutes.

TWO

1: LUNGES

Rest a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Step forward and bend your front knee until your back knee almost touches the floor. Step back and switch legs.

2: 180 BURPEES

Put your hands on the floor and kick your legs back. Hit the floor with your stomach and thighs and bend your elbows. Push up, spring to your feet, then jump and turn around.

WEDNESDAY: SUPER-SETS 3 & 4

THREE

1: PUSH-UPS

Bend your elbows, keeping them tucked in at your sides, to lower yourself. When your chest touches the floor, straighten your elbows to push up.

2: BARBELL CURLS

Hold a barbell with your palms facing out. Bend your elbows to curl the weight to a point just below the shoulders. Squeeze your biceps at the top then slowly lower the weight.

FOUR

1: BARBELL CURLS

2: CABLE PUSH-DOWNS

Attach a bar to a high pulley so it rests just below your chest. Use an overhand grip. Tuck your elbows to your sides and push the bar down until your arms are straight.

FRIDAY: SUPER-SETS 5 & 6

FIVE

1: BARBELL DEADLIFTS

Keep your chin up and back straight. Drive through your heels to move the weight up. When the bar passes your knees, pull the bar back as you drive your hips forward.

2: BEAR CRAWLS

Drop to your hands and the balls of your feet. As you move your right hand forward, move your left leg and vice versa. Go forwards about 20-30 yards, then go backward to the start.

SIX

1: KETTLEBELL SWINGS

Hold a kettlebell with both hands. Bend at the hips so the weight is between your legs, then use your hips to swing the weight away from your body and up to chest height.

2: ALEKNAS

Lie on your back with your arms and legs stretched out.

Bring your knees towards your chest while raising your arms to the same position, then stretch your limbs back out again.