Having spent the best part of my life immersed in gym culture and all things strength related, I have heard conflicting opinions when it comes to the right and wrong way to lift. “ You need to do full range with a lockout to achieve maximal contraction,” bellows the suited up power lifter over by the racks. Or at the other end of the spectrum, “constant tension via partial range movement is the only way to achieve maximal growth” growls the bodybuilder pumping out reps on a dumbbell press. The truth is, both have their merits and one would be foolish to profess to only one method as being... Read On

The manner in which one approaches a training regime provides a good indication of the results likely to be achieved. More often than not, failure to plan properly will doom a plan to disaster. That is why the concept of periodization is something every serious fitness enthusiast needs to acknowledge and use. Understanding the purpose of periodization and how to benefit from it may well be one of the most influential factors for many people in their journey of physical transformation.   Regardless of one’s overriding goal, a system of periodic programing is essential. In the strength training industry we refer to periodization as a method of breaking down... Read On

One thing we respect here at Definitive Physique is heart. Fortitude, resilience, guts whatever you want to call it this trait is that sets our personal trainers and our personal training clients against the rest. The ability to keep going in a working set is what pushes the body to make adaptations. This essentially is what exercise is all about and what will make you gain muscle. You push the body to the limit of its capabilities, you recuperate and come back stronger. Momentary muscular failure leads to hypertrophy and strength increases, as a personal trainer this is what I am usually pushing for with my clients. The point at... Read On

Training to failure is what the majority of real lifters would call “standard procedure”, meaning without it the workout would be deemed null and void. Although in my heart of hearts I would tend to echo this, it is perhaps a little too ‘Spartanesque’ for your average gym goer and definitely not the gospel in the eyes of the traditional strength coach. The fact of the matter is, training to failure is a complex subject and should be approached with caution and planning to maximise benefit and minimize risk of injury. The purpose of training to failure Training to failure will allow the lifter to accomplish both muscular strength... Read On

Here at Definitive Physique the most frequently asked questions usually stem from topics related to our personal training transformation projects. The majority of questions normally include the words. How long and what did it entail? Like anything worth having in life it took a combination of hard work, discipline and attention to detail. Unfortunately these three components are often forgotten early on in the information gathering process and the new subject of importance becomes the magical supplementation protocol or scientifically researched (not proven…I might add) training program. Now, I’m not here to bash supplement manufacturers or hate on any of my peers in the industry…, as both sup’s and... Read On

Let me start with an old saying that really sums up the whole debate in a nutshell, or should I say cat shell….”There is more than one way to skin a cat”. Now as much as this saying is true, surely there is one or even perhaps two ways that are more efficient and effective than the rest? Now skinning cats is not my thing, so ill leave that to the professionals. However fat loss is something Definitive Physique specialises in and as testament to our Results page our approach works. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of two of the most effective methods for... Read On

Having trained numerous women throughout my career I am all too familiar with the misconception of weight training giving women a masculine appearance. It is unfortunate but true, that popular belief tells women that by lifting weights you will create a muscular and unattractive physique. In recent years many fitness professionals have worked hard to dispel this myth, and more often than not have used the differences in testosterone production as the main premise of their argument. Men produce ten times the amount of testosterone as their female counterparts, and testosterone is a key factor in the development of muscle mass. As a result of this woman are often... Read On

 Supersets are a great way to build muscle and improve your physique. This bodybuilding technique has been used for decades as a way to be time efficient in the gym and to hit different muscles from different angles. I use this technique with my personal training clients regularly, as the high amounts of lactic acid produced are a great way to reduce body-fat as well as build muscle. There are many different types of superset methods. Some are better for fat-loss, some are better for hypertrophy. For the purposes of this article we will focus on the superset method in which you perform two exercises for the same muscle... Read On

 The feeling of extreme muscle soreness for days after a workout is all too familiar to my personal training clients. My introductory training sessions usually leave trainees walking down stairs gingerly to say the least. Muscle soreness or DOMs (delayed onset muscle soreness) as it’s now most commonly known, is problematic for all weight trainers. A little soreness is great, you know you’ve worked that muscle adequately. It’s a good feeling, a sign of progression. However, when the soreness is so severe you can’t train that muscle again when you are scheduled to, your plan falls to pieces and often so do your gains. Various methods and supplements have... Read On

1: Add cayenne pepper to your food. Believe it or not adding cayenne pepper to your food can help you to lose weight (body fat). It contains substances that drastically increase blood flow, thermogenesis (heat production) and oxygen consumption. It also tastes great and makes that chicken or turkey taste a little less bland. Add this to your food for a simple but effective way to ramp up fat loss.   2: Control your carbs. Refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour are unfortunately far too common in the modern diet. These ‘fast’ carbs elevate blood sugar rapidly forcing the body to release the storage hormone insulin. Where does... Read On