Tag: mfuk20160901

Last Word Ray Liotta

How has being in your 60s affected the way you exercise?

I work out more. I work out five days a week. I’m 61 now so I really need to unwind the damage I’ve done over the years. You need months to do that. I have a trainer and we do a lot of massage and stretching. I don’t lift a lot because of an old injury – instead we do circuits geared towards getting lean, always with jumping rope. We’ll always start with three minutes of jumping rope, which is a motherfucker.

When did you notice you had to change how you trained?

Right around 60. It’s unbelievable what happens to you when you hit a certain age. Even if you’ve been consistent in training, issues will suddenly come up. I’ve had to stop running so much. If I do run it’s hard for me to stop because I really love doing it. I love the runner’s high.

You’ve gone from criminal to cop in your new TV series Shades Of Blue. How did you prepare physically?

Doing the series can be such a grind. Anywhere from 12- to 15-hour days. But you just do what you have to do. Acting is one thing that helps you forget it. But press tours wipe me out. I had to go to the pharmacy when we landed and I felt like I was walking in molasses, my legs were moving so slow. I came [to the Corinthia Hotel in London] and just passed out.

Ever since 1986’s Something Wild you’ve been known for playing intense characters. How do you prepare for that?

I work out before scenes. Then I did push-ups all day. Now, I keep weights in my trailer and use the coffee table as a bench. But truthfully, I just want to be able to move without being hunched or limping. Your priorities change as you get older. I tell my trainer, “Take it easy, I just want to look good in jeans. I’m not competing for the Olympics here”.

When were you at your fittest?

Probably high school or college. I ran all the time. I was never one of those cut guys – I would have a six-pack only because I was always skinny. Really, what it comes down to is diet. You can exercise all you want but it’s your diet that really [makes the] change.

Have you always tried to look after yourself?

I love working out. I’ve been doing it since seventh grade [around age 12]. I used to be addicted to running and I think that did a lot of damage. I played a lot of sport, basketball and soccer. I prided myself on always being first when doing laps. I was just able to run. I had good lungs, I guess.

Do you bring that fight to the set opposite Jennifer Lopez in Shades Of Blue?

I’ve taken that competitiveness into my acting. I look at it as a competitive thing, like a one-on-one basketball game. It’s probably not the best thing to do [laughs].

Did you challenge co-stars Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci to bench press competitions when shooting GoodFellas ?

Well Bob was always up too early for me. He was getting ready for Cape Fear and he was all ripped up in it so he was doing extra training. I don’t think Joe did though… That’s what I’ll do too. I’ll get up an hour or two early to work out before being on set. But as soon as I get home at 7pm I’ll order room service and then boom, I’m gone, so I can get up at 5am.

Did you not join De Niro in the gym?

Well I remember throwing my back out during GoodFellas. In the scene where I lifted a girl and threw her, my back went. My mom also had cancer while we were filming so [the stress of] that made my back even worse. If you look at certain scenes I’m all hunched over.

What happened to the girl?

You know, I’m sad to say, I think she passed away. Years later somebody told me, “Remember so-and-so? She passed away”.

Oh… I was hoping you’d say she just got a couple of bruises.

Well in the scene, nothing happened. She just landed where she was supposed to land and that was it…

And years later she died…

And years later she died [laughs]. Wait, why are you laughing about that? He’s horrible, this guy. He’s nasty. He’s mean. Don’t laugh. Don’t write that we laughed that she died. I’ll track you down, motherfucker. I can still run.

Shades Of Blueis on Sky Living, Wednesdays at 9pm

Models Greg Cornthwaite, Daniel Ventura

Do you follow a traditional body-part workout split, training each muscle group around once a week? It’s a legitimate tactic, and with the right training programme you’ll add muscle size at a decent rate. But if a decent rate is too slow because you want to make big muscle gains as quickly as possible, this month’s main Men’s Fitness workout is for you. When you do this four-times-a-week training plan, you’ll work your chest and back twice each week, while working your biceps, triceps and shoulders directly and indirectly twice a week too. This additional workout volume can help you transform your torso by adding lean muscle mass where you want it to create a V-shaped torso that screams health, strength and fitness.

HERE’S HOW THE PLAN WORKS

This month’s four-week workout is made up of four sessions a week. Workout one targets your chest and back; workout two, your legs and shoulders; workout three, your chest and triceps; and workout four, your back and biceps. This approach means that all your major upper body muscles get trained directly or indirectly twice a week, and it’s this increased gym time and increased training volume that will prompt these muscles into growing bigger quickly.

Each workout is made up of six moves, split into three parts. The first is a superset comprising two big compound lifts, and you’ll do five sets. The second superset is done for four sets and the number of reps increases. The third set is a single exercise but the reps are even higher. This approach will work your more of your muscle fibres to a greater stage of fatigue by taxing them with a mix of heavy-weight, low-rep sets, moderate-weight, moderate-rep sets and light-weight, high-rep sets. Simply do the workouts in order, sticking to the sets, reps, tempo and rest periods detailed, and transform your torso with more muscle mass across the board.

TEMPO TRAINING

To get the full effect from these workouts, you need to stick to the four-digit tempo code for each exercise. The first digit indicates how long in seconds you take to lower the weight, the second how long you pause at the bottom of the move, the third how long you take to lift the weight, and the final digit how long you pause at the top. The accumulated time under tension increases your heart rate to burn body fat and break down muscle tissue so it’s rebuilt bigger and stronger. Keep each rep smooth and controlled so your muscles – not momentum – do the work, and move through a full range of motion.

YOUR FOUR-WEEK MUSCLE PLAN

Here’s how each week is structured

WORKOUT 1 CHEST AND BACK

WORKOUT 2 LEGS AND SHOULDERS

WORKOUT 3 CHEST AND TRICEPS

WORKOUT 4 BACK AND BICEPS

WORKOUT 1 CHEST AND BACK

1A BENCH PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2110

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding a barbell with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and press your feet into the ground, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.

1B BENT OVER ROW

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Hold a barbell using a shoulder-width overhand grip just outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly, then bend forwards, hingeing from the hips and keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up towards your sternum, leading with your elbows, then lower it back to the start.

2A CHIN UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 30sec

Hold a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2B INCLINE FLYE

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Lie on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand above your face, with your palms facing and a slight bend in your elbows. Lower them to the sides, then bring them back to the top.

3 DIAMOND PRESS UP

Sets 3 Reps 15

Tempo 2110 Rest 60sec

Start in a press-up position but with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond. Keeping your hips up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor. Push down through your hands to return to the start.

WORKOUT 2 LEGS AND SHOULDERS

1A BACK SQUAT

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2010 Rest 30sec

Stand tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and core braced, squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Drive back up through your heels to return to the start.

1B OVERHEAD PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the top of your chest with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up and core braced, press the bar overhead until your arms are straight, then lower it back to the start.

2A BARBELL SPLIT SQUAT

Sets 4

Reps 6 each side

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Stand tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up, take a big step forwards with your right foot, then bend both knees to 90°. Drive back through your right foot to return to the start. Repeat for six reps, then switch legs and do another six reps with your left foot.

2B BARBELL HIGH PULL

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 1010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip and straight arms. Keeping your chest up and core braced, pull the bar upwards, leading with your elbows, until it reaches chin height. Then lower it back to the start.

3 LATERAL RAISE

Sets 3 Reps 15

Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Stand tall, holding a light dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping your chest up, core braced and a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height. Turn your thumbs down at the top, then lower them back to the start.

WORKOUT 3 CHEST AND TRICEPS

1A BENCH PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2110

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding a bar with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and press your feet into the ground, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.

1B SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 60sec

Sit on an upright bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, press the weights directly overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start.

2A HAMMER GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding dumbbells by your shoulders with palms facing. Drive your feet into the floor and press the weights straight up, then lower them slowly back to the start.

2B DUMBBELL TRICEPS EXTENSION

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 1010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall holding a dumbbell over your head with both hands, arms straight. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows pointing up, lower the weight behind your head, then lift it back to the start.

3 DIAMOND PRESS UP

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 60sec

Start in a press-up position but with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond. Keeping your hips up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your chest down towards the group, then push down through your hands to return to the start.

WORKOUT 4 BACK AND BICEPS

1A PULL UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 30sec

Hold a pull-up bar using an overhand grip with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your lower chest touches the bar. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2B CHIN UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 60sec

Hold a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2A BARBELL BICEPS CURL

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Hold a barbell with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the bar up to your chest, squeezing your biceps as you go. Lower it back to the start.

2B REVERSE GRIP BENT OVER ROW

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Hold a bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip just outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly then bend forwards, hingeing at the hips and keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up towards your sternum, leading with your elbows, then lower it back to the start.

3 DUMBBELL BICEPS CURL

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Hold dumbbells by your sides with straight arms, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps as you go, then lower them back to the start.

TOTAL BOBY TRANSFORMATION

Model Andrew Tracey

Having bulging biceps and a chest as wide as a wardrobe might look good, but if your muscles hinder rather than help your day-today activities, then there’s not much point in having them. Fortunately, it’s possible to build a bigger and stronger body that’s also incredibly efficient moving around in the real world, rather than simply moving metal in the gym. And one of the best ways to build a more muscular and functionally-fit body is through suspension training. The beauty of kit like the KO8 (ko8.co.uk) is that not only can it be used almost any time and anywhere, but it also makes using your own bodyweight as resistance a real challenge.

HOW IT WORKS

“Suspension training is great because it allows you to expand your bodyweight training exercise repertoire tenfold, with kit that takes up less room in your car or travel bag than a loaf of bread,” says MF’s regular outdoor training expert Andrew Tracey (wayofthenomad.co.uk). “And in terms of increasing muscle mass and improving strength and co-ordination, there’s nothing better than getting to grips with moving and controlling your own bodyweight. It simply makes you better at moving through life.”

Find a tree branch, a set of goalposts or any secure overhead bar to hook your kit on, then try Tracey’s upper-body metabolic circuit below. The 30-minute circuit is split into two parts containing three moves each: the first half targets your “pushing” muscles – chest, front delts, triceps – and the second half your “pulling” muscles – back, rear delts and biceps. In each circuit the moves get easier but the reps increase to capitalise on accumulated fatigue to keep your muscles pumped and your heart rate high.

“This technique keeps rest to a minimum, maximum calories are burned, and compounding fatigue causes a cascade of beneficial fat-burning, muscle-building hormones to be released,” says Tracey. Go down this route to find your way to a bigger, stronger and more mobile upper body.

DIRECTIONS

This is a 30-minute every minute on the minute (EMOM) workout. After a quick warm-up, start the clock. In the first minute do five dips, then resting for the remainder of the minute (use the time to adjust the straps). In minute two do ten decline press-ups with your feet in the straps and hands on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten incline press-ups with your hands in the straps and feet on the ground. Repeat this for five total rounds, which lasts 15 minutes.

In the first minute of the second part of the workout do five pull-ups, then again use the rest of the minute to adjust the straps. In minute two do ten inverted rows with your feet on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten kneeling straight-arm roll-outs. Repeat this five times as well.

Model Richard P@WModels

There’s nothing more frustrating than heading to the gym all pumped for your workout, only to get there and discover it’s jammed to the rafters. But a busy gym needn’t be the end of the road in your journey towards a leaner, stronger and more impressive physique. So if you want to burn fat, build muscle or sculpt a solid six-pack, try these one-kit circuit-training workouts for a quick and effective session that doesn’t require much time or much space.

TORCH BELLY FAT WITH JUST A 20KG BARBELL

GET ROCK HARD ABS BY USING A SINGLE DUMBBELL

BUILD LEAN MUSCLE WITH THESE WEIGHT PLATE MOVES

TORCH FAT WITH… A BAR

Strip away body fat faster using just a barbell with this time-saving circuit

HOW DO TO IT

Do the five moves here in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. If you want to make the circuit harder you can add weight to the bar, starting with 2.5kg each side.

1 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

Stand tall holding the bar with a wide, overhand grip. Bend forwards, hingeing from the hips, to lower the bar to knee level. Push your hips forwards to stand up straight.

2 CLEAN

From the bottom of the deadlift, push your hips forward and raise the bar, rotating your elbows to “catch” it at shoulder height. Reverse the move to the start.

3 BENT OVER ROW

Starting from the bottom of the clean, let your arms hang then, leading with your elbows, row the bar in towards your lower chest. Return to the start.

4 PUSH PRESS

Clean the bar up to the front of your shoulders then, initiating the move with a knee bend, push the bar straight up over your head. Lower it back down to your shoulders.

5 SQUAT

After the last push press rep, lower the bar behind your head to rest on the backs of your shoulders. Squat down, then stand back up.

GET A SIX PACK WITH… A DUMBBELL

Sculpt a lean, hard and defined six-pack with this five-move dumbbell circuit that works your core from multiple angles

HOW DO TO IT

Do the following five moves in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. Make the circuit easier with a lighter dumbbell, or harder with a heavier one.

1 SWING

Hold a dumbbell in both hands. Bend from the hips to lower the weight between your legs, then push your hips forward to raise it up to shoulder height. Reverse back down to the start.

2 SIDE BEND

Stand tall, holding the dumbbell in one hand. Keeping your chest up, lower the weight – this will hit your obliques. Complete all the reps, then switch hands and repeat.

3 WOODCHOP

Squat, holding the weight in both hands to one side. Raise it across your body to head height, then back down. Do all the reps, then switch sides.

4 CRUNCH

Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent, holding the dumbbell to your chest with both hands. Use your upper abs to raise your torso, then lower slowly to the start.

5 RUSSIAN TWIST

Start at the top of the crunch but with your feet off the ground. Rotate back and forth, keeping your abs braced. A twist to one side then the other counts as one rep.

BUILD MUSCLE WITH… A WEIGHT PLATE

A weight plate doesn’t need to sit on the end of a barbell to help you add muscle. Try this five-move bulk-up circuit

HOW DO TO IT

Do the following five moves in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. Make the circuit easier with a lighter weight plate, or harder with a heavier one.

1 SQUAT

Hold the weight plate behind your head, supported on your upper back. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then stand back up to return to the start.

2 BICEPS CURL

Hold the weight plate in both hands with your arms straight. Keeping your elbows tight to your sides, curl the plate up to your chin, then lower back down slowly.

3 OVERHEAD PRESS

From the top position of the curl, press the weight directly overhead, keeping your chest up. Lower back to the start slowly with the weight under control.

4 TRICEPS EXTENSION

From the top of the overhead press, keep your elbows locked in position and lower the plate behind your head. Straighten your arms to return to the top position.

5 HALO

Hold the plate securely in both hands next to your head. Rotate it clockwise around your head 15 times, then go in an anti-clockwise direction 15 times.

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.

Model Sean Lerwill@WModels Thanks to Ultimate Performance (upfi tness.co.uk)

One of the keys to adding more muscle in less time is to work the target muscles as hard as you can, then back off to give them enough time to recover and grow. This workout does just that – not only by putting your biceps and triceps under a lot of muscular tension, but also by tapping into both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibres to prompt a greater post-workout growth response. That’s why both of the two tri-sets in this workout – the first targeting your biceps, the second your triceps – use three different rep ranges for each of the three moves, with very little rest in between.

It starts with a six-rep compound move to fire up your central nervous system to activate more fibres, then there’s a 12-rep isolation lift to work the muscles closer to fatigue. The final 25-rep move will force muscle fibres that don’t usually get worked during straight sets to kick into action. The result: a big muscular pump and more damage to the muscles, creating the ideal conditions for adding more size.

1A CHIN UP

Reps 6

Tempo 3010

Rest 10sec

Grasp a chinup bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulderwidth apart. With your core braced and chest up, pull your chin until it’s higher than the bar. Lower under control to a dead hang.

1B EZ BAR BICEPS CURL

Reps 12

Tempo 2110

Rest 10sec

Hold an EZ-bar with an underhand grip, arms straight and elbows tucked in to your sides. Keeping your chest up, curl the bar up then lower back to the start under control.

1C CABLE ROPE CURL

Reps 25

Tempo 2110

Rest 90sec

Hold a rope cable handle with a palms-facing grip, elbows tucked in to your sides. Keeping your chest up, curl your hands up, turning your wrists so they reach the top with palms facing you. Lower back to the start under control.

2A TRICEPS DIP

Reps 6

Tempo 3010

Rest 10sec

Grip parallel bars with your chest up and body tensed. Slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows, then press back up powerfully without locking your elbows at the top.

2B EZ BAR TRICEPS EXTENSION

Reps 12

Tempo 2110

Rest 10sec

Stand tall holding an EZ-bar above your head with an overhand grip, arms straight. Keeping your elbows fixed in place, slowly lower the bar behind your head, then press it back up powerfully.

2C CABLE ROPE PRESS DOWN

Reps 25

Tempo 2110

Rest 90sec

Stand tall holding a rope cable handle with a palms-facing grip. Keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, press your hands down so they go either side of your thighs. Slowly return to the start.

BUILD NEW MUSCLE

USING ADVANCED PRESS UP MOVES

BLITZ YOUR BELLY

WITH PRESS UP HIIT CIRCUITS

BE INJURY PROOF

BY STRENGTHENING YOUR SHOULDERS

Could press-ups be the perfect exercise? For one thing, you can do them anywhere and any time – but what makes the press-up one of the very best muscle-building moves is that there are so many variations on the classic move that it’ll enable you to build a stronger, more impressive upper body even if you don’t have much time or access to any equipment. Here’s all you need to know.

The press-up is probably the most popular bodyweight move in the world. That’s partly because it can be performed anywhere, without the need for much space or any kit. But above all it’s effective, working your chest, core, triceps and shoulders, if you do it right. What’s more, this classic move has a huge number of variations that will work the muscles of your upper body in new and challenging ways to promote new muscle mass growth, improve shoulder stability and mobility, and burn body fat to reveal a more defined torso.

So if you haven’t done a press-up since it was your punishment at school for forgetting your PE kit, it might be time for you to reconsider your opinion on it and factor it back into your training programme. Read on to discover how to perform the perfect press-up and find out how you can use the move more effectively to build your best ever body.

PERFORM THE PERFECT PRESS UP

Master the basic movement pattern and start reaping the rewards

“The ability to crank out countless press-ups might seem impressive, but if you’re serious about adding upper-body size and strength then quality is far more important than quantity,” says trainer James Stark (pictured above). “If you get your press-up form absolutely right, every single rep will help you add size and strength.” Follow these form tips to master the movement and add muscle faster.

❶ HAND WIDTH

HOW Place your hands shoulder-width apart with arms straight and so your shoulders, elbows and wrists line up.

WHY This position, with all the joints of your arms aligned, works your muscles without placing excess stress on the joints.

❷ HAND POSITION

HOW Your fingers should be slightly splayed and pointing forward, with your hands forming right angles with your forearms.

WHY Maintaining a strong wrist position keeps your arm joints aligned to minimise joint stress and form the most stable set-up.

❸ ELBOW MOVEMENT

HOW Initiate the move by bending your elbows to lower your chest towards the ground.

WHY Flaring your elbows out to the sides works the chest harder but ups pressure on the shoulders. Keeping them at your sides works the triceps more.

❹ IDEAL HIP HEIGHT

HOW Your hips should remain in line with your shoulders for the entirety of the set.

WHY Holding your hips up keeps your body stable, which allows your muscles to focus on performing high-quality reps rather than on stabilising your torso.

❺ FOOT WIDTH

HOW Keep your feet hip-width apart. Placing them farther apart makes it easier and bringing them together makes it harder.

WHY The closer together your feet the less stable your body, which means your muscles must work harder each rep.

❻ DEPTH OF REPS

HOW The closer you can get your chest to the floor the better because this makes the working muscles move through a full range of motion.

WHY The deeper you can go the more muscle fibres you activate. Keep reps slow to work them harder.

Test your press-up best

10 MINUTE PUMP UP

SIZE & STRENGTH

WHAT This high-intensity ten-minute three-move circuit will flood your upper-body muscles with blood to create a huge pump and thoroughly fatigue your muscle fibres while keeping your heart rate high for both a muscle gain and a fat loss effect.

HOW Do as many diamond press-ups as you can, then rest for 20 seconds. Then do as many normal press-ups as possible, then rest for 20 seconds. Finally do as many wide press-ups as possible then rest 60 seconds. Repeat this circuit four times.

30 MINUTE CHALLENGE

ENDURANCE

WHAT This half-hour EMOM (every minute on the minute) workout will increase your upper body’s muscular endurance by taxing the muscles hard, resting, then going again through the process of accumulated fatigue.

HOW In the first minute and subsequent odd-numbered minutes do ten normal press-ups and rest for the remainder of the minute. In even-numbered minutes do ten reps of another press-up variation that targets the shoulders or triceps more, then rest for the remainder of the minute. So you’ll do a total of 300 press-ups in just 30 minutes to improve muscular strength and endurance. If ten reps feels too easy, do 12-15 reps in each minute.

THE SIMPLE TWEAKS FOR SERIOUS GAINS

Up the ante, adjust the angles and add muscle

Traditional press-ups work your chest, triceps and shoulders, but some simple tweaks to the move can shift the emphasis to one of these muscles, while lessening the involvement of the other two. Try these three variations to increase the workload on your shoulders, triceps and chest respectively, helping you build a stronger and more impressive upper body.

❶ TARGET SHOULDERS

MOVE HINDU PRESS UP

WHY Elevating your hips places more of your bodyweight on your shoulders and forces them work harder.

HOW Start in a press-up position then raise your hips so your body forms a V-shape. Brace your core and bend your elbows to lower your chest towards your hands, moving your head and torso forwards in a smooth arc. Keep moving your upper body forwards until your eyes are looking forward and your chest is up. Press straight back up to return to the start position.

❷ TARGET TRICEPS

MOVE DIAMOND PRESS UP

WHY Having your hands closer together limits how wide you can take your elbows and how much your chest can get involved, so your triceps must take on more of the workload.

HOW Start in the normal press-up position but bring your hands together so that your thumbs and forefingers form a diamond. Lower your chest to the ground, then press back up powerfully.

❸ TARGET CHEST

MOVE WIDE PRESS UP

WHY Taking your hands out wide – they should be double shoulder-width apart – reduces the involvement of your triceps and shoulders so your chest has to do more work to lower and then lift your body.

HOW Start in the normal press-up position but with your hands out wide. Bend your elbows and lower your chest down towards the ground. Focus on a slow and controlled lowering phase to minimise stress on your shoulders. Once you are as low as you can comfortably go, press powerfully back up to the start.

Get intense by ending your workout with press-up burpees

HOW DO TO IT

Stand tall, then drop down so your hands are on the floor and your knees are tucked in to your chest. Kick your legs backwards to get into the press-up position then perform the move with perfect form. Bring your legs back in to your chest, jump up and land back in the start position.

PRESS UP BURPEE CHALLENGES

MINUTE MAYHEM

Do as many reps as you can in a minute. This is simple and effective. Working against the clock will help to push your body out of its comfort zone. Make a note of your score and try to beat it next time.

BURPEE LADDER

Do one press-up burpee, then do another rep, but this time do two mid-rep press-ups. Continue that pattern, adding one press-up each time, until you reach failure. Aim to beat your score next time.

BURPEE BATTLE

Do this with a training partner. You do one rep, then your partner does one rep. You do two, then your partner does two. Keep adding a rep until one of you fails.

ADVANCED VARIATIONS

“Part of the beauty of the press-up is you can make the move much harder as you become stronger and better at it by making small yet significant tweaks to work your muscles in new and more challenging ways,” says Stark.

“Once you can comfortably perform 15 to 20 traditional press-ups with perfect form, try these three advanced variations, focusing on smooth and controlled movement patterns. Do three sets of eight to 12 reps.”

❶ CORKSCREW PRESS UP

WHY Starting with your hands further forward works your shoulders harder, while adding a hip rotation with each rep recruits your core and lower abs muscles.

HOW Start in a press-up position but with your hands in front of your shoulders. As you bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor, twist your hips to one side and then back the other way, keeping your core engaged throughout. Then press back to the start.

❷ ARCHER PRESS UP

WHY Start in a normal press-up position but as you lower yourself down reach one arm out to the side, resting on your wrist. Return to the start. Repeat with your other arm.

HOW This variation tests those small but important stabilising muscles of the shoulder that must work hard to support your bodyweight as you lower then lift your torso repeatedly. It also works your core muscles, which are forced to maintain torso stability with each rep.

❸ DIVEBOMBER PRESS UP

WHY This move is a slightly more difficult version of the Hindu press-up. It works your shoulders hard, as well as your core to maintain torso stability.

HOW Start in a press-up position then raise your hips and bend your elbows. Lower your head and chest down and forwards moving your torso in a smooth arc to raise up your head and chest. Reverse the movement to return to the start position.

In the pursuit of a bigger and broader chest the bench press takes priority in most workout programmes. But the workload your chest must manage when pressing is always limited, especially if you have weaker triceps or front shoulders. In short, if you want a bigger chest, you need to isolate your chest muscles. Enter the incline flye. Not only does it target the chest, it also forces a big stretch across your pecs and allows them to move through a greater range of motion, all of which are key factors in increased muscle growth. Using kettlebells keeps the weight on the outsides of your wrists, enabling you to maintain the same angle in your elbows throughout to work your chest even harder.

HOW TO DO IT

Lie on an incline bench holding a kettlebell in each hand above your shoulders, palms facing. Plant your feet on the floor, brace your glutes and core, and keep your chest up. Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lower your hands out to the sides, keeping your wrists strong and palms facing, until your feel a significant stretch across your chest. Squeeze your chest to raise the kettlebells back to the start. Start with a light weight until you master the movement pattern, then increase the resistance as you get stronger.

Australian actor Jai Courtney reveals the training secrets he and his Suicide Squad co-stars used to get into superhero – well, supervillain – shape

But we don’t mean his career, which has been on a steep upward trajectory since his breakout role in 2010’s TV cult classic Spartacus: Blood And Sand. No, we mean the number on his bathroom scales, which hasn’t stood still as Courtney changed his body shape dramatically for each little and big screen role. He went from ripped Ancient Roman in Spartacus to super-lean for his portrayal of time-travelling soldier Kyle Reese in 2015’s Terminator: Genisys. And now he’s packed on serious muscle mass for his role as Captain Boomerang in DC Comics’ summer super-villain blockbuster Suicide Squad, starring alongside Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie, among others. MF caught up with Courtney, and his personal trainer Brendan Johnston, to find out how he got into superhero shape.

Have you always been into training?

I was always pretty athletic as a kid. As an Aussie I grew up playing rugby league, cricket, swimming – so sport was always a big part of my upbringing. As I got older that led into a lifestyle of living healthy and keeping active and I have always liked training, but I’ve always believed that having balance is a big part of healthy living. As I get older – I’m 30 now – I certainly love having a bit of an off-season, if you know what I mean!

You got into great shape for your role in Spartacus. How was that?

Well, I knew that from the very first day of filming all I’d be wearing was a bloody loincloth! So it was the first time I had taken my training seriously, rather than a bit of fun. It really opened my eyes to the science behind training and nutrition and how you can transform your body to better portray a character on screen. It was really interesting for me to go through that process and I learned so much. But I was younger and could get away with a lot more. It’s remarkable how things do shift and you can become more prone to injury and need to treat your body a little more carefully. But it also allows you to evolve the way you do things to get the right results. You can try different ways of training and new approaches to eating to find the right way that works for you.

How hard was it to get so lean for Terminator: Genisys?

I’m naturally a bigger-frame guy and it’s meant that I could always get away without doing an awful lot and still look in reasonable shape. When it came to Terminator, put simply, they told me I needed to drop a bunch of weight, about 12kg. That wasn’t something I’d ever had to focus on before. They wanted me to get away from being thick and muscle-bound and get really stripped down. So it was a totally different approach. I couldn’t lift any weights and my training was all low-impact cardio and a more restricted dietary regime than anything I’d ever done before. Honestly, it was pretty mind-bending.

What is the key to a successful physical transformation?

It’s cracking the mental side of it, mate, 100%. You have to find relaxation and reward in what you are doing. If I’m working towards a physical goal, it’s amazing how negative the effect of stressing out about achieving that goal can be. It can shift your progress backwards in a major way. You need to be goal-oriented and clear about what you want to achieve in a realistic timeframe. It’s not healthy to assume that you can really change your body in a couple of weeks. Give yourself a couple months and that’s another story – you can see massive results.

How did you train for Suicide Squad?

The beauty of this movie was that I was told I could finally gain some weight!

So I went from about 190lb [86kg] in Terminator to 230lb [105kg] for Suicide Squad. So for me the physical preparation was massive. We’d all train together. We did martial arts training together from the very beginning. Will Smith and I would roll on the mats doing jiu jitsu, I was lifting weights with Joel Kinnaman, and Jay Hernandez and I got the gloves on every day and we’d spar. There was a great group mentality. It was really cool. Yeah, it could get a little hot sometimes… but it was always cool, man, because he’s your brother. It’s great when there’s expectation across the board and everyone works together to reach physical goals. You use each other for some camaraderie and healthy competition to push each other.

Was it better training in a group than on your own?

Yeah. It’s competitive, not in that you’re looking sideways and thinking, “He’s doing better than me” but in a way that spurs you on positively to keep pushing. You want everyone to be doing their best. If you can lift with a buddy so he can spot you and push you harder so you hit bigger numbers, then that’s really cool, man. It keeps you fired. Team spirit, a sense of camaraderie, it’s a beautiful thing and as someone who played a lot of team sports growing up, I loved it. One of the best things about training is that you can do it alone, but you can also do it with your mates, teach each other to be better and have a lot of fun in the process.

Who was the strongest member of the Squad?

I can say me, right? Why not? I got pretty fucking big! Will Smith might not be a spring chicken anymore, but he’s in very good shape. There’s a man who knows how to look after himself. He’s strong, man. We were rolling on the mats in the gym and I think he nearly put me to sleep once or twice!

Is doing your own stunts a pro or con of the job?

I love the stunts, man! It’s a lot of fun and I love that side of acting. The most physically demanding work I’ve done was the fighting scenes in Suicide Squad. There’s a sequence at the end of the film that was tough for all of us. We were put under some conditions we had to maintain for about a week – and it wasn’t comfortable! So it’s not always the physical element of a stunt or scene that make them so hard – sometimes it’s the environment you’re in that takes them to another level. You’ve got to stay healthy and do things safely. It’s the only way. It’s easy to drop the ball if your mind wanders if you’re tired, or undernourished, and that’s when you get hurt.

Suicide Squad is released in cinemas 5th August