FitBrit, the UK’s biggest and best fitness challenge, is back again to find the country’s number one amateur athlete. And this year, it could be you. With three categories to enter – Open, Masters and Team – there’s more reasons than ever to enter the competition and battle to become the country’s champion in the ultimate test of speed, strength and stamina. So if you want to give your training regime new focus and set your eyes on the prize of calling yourself the UK’s fittest, here’s what you need to know.
Crowning glory
The Open category is open to everyone, giving you the chance to compete against the fittest in the country to be crowned FitBrit champion. The Masters event is for you if you’re aged 40 or over on or before Friday 4th November, the final date for submitting your time. The Team category is for groups of four, which must be mixed-sex, although the team make-up can be any combination of male and female athletes.
The individual categories require you to complete all the events in order, while the team effort requires each member to participate in all three cardio events in a relay, completing at least 10% each, and one functional exercise each.
Find out first
The events that make up this year’s FitBrit challenge, as well as details on how to enter, can be found on the Fitness First website (fitnessfirst.co.uk/fitbrit). Make sure you get next month’s issue of MF for your exclusive FitBrit training plan.
THE EASY WAY TO BOULDER SHOULDERS
Master the lateral raise to add serious size to your delts
Photography Glen Burrows
❶ MAKE A SMALL MOVE
WHAT Start each rep by slowly moving your hands out to the sides, then stopping.
WHY Moving the dumbbells slightly places tension on your shoulders. The pause switches off your traps, which will otherwise muscle in on the move, taking emphasis off your shoulders.
HOW Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward from the hips then, keeping your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, use your side delts to raise the weights about 5cm out to the side, then pause for one second.
❷ LEAD WITH ELBOWS
WHAT Raise the dumbbells leading with your elbows, so that they’re the highest part of your arm.
WHY Ensuring your elbows lead the move will again keep the focus on your delts and minimise the stress placed on your rotator cuffs, a small group of delicate but crucial stabilising muscles.
HOW From the paused position, reinitiate the move by raising your elbows up and out to the sides, maintaining that slight bend in the joint. Concentrate on how your side delts feel and contract as the weights are raised.
❸ TURN YOUR WRISTS
WHAT As your hands approach shoulder height, rotate your wrist so that your little fingers are uppermost.
WHY Turning your wrists as the dumbbells reach the top of the move activates more muscle fibres in your side delts, meaning each rep works the muscle even harder.
HOW Once your elbows are at shoulder height turn your wrists as if you were pouring two jugs of water so your little fingers are the highest parts of your hands. Reverse this movement as you lower the weights again.
❹ GO DOWN SLOWER
WHAT From the top of the move lower the weights back to the start as slowly as possible.
WHY Taking your time to lower the dumbbells forces your shoulders to work harder to manage the weight, so you recruit more muscle fibres in order to maintain control. The more muscular damage you do, the greater your growth return.
HOW Keep tension on your side delts as you lower the weights under full control, maintaining focus on how your delts feel. Aim for a two-second lowering phase at first, then increase it over time.