Announcing the Total Nutrition Pack

My Total Nutrition Pack is designed to help you take your nutrition to the next level in helping achieve your fitness goals.  As you know, for the best results, you need to progress both the training and nutrition fronts.  I’m keen to provide the tools you need to succeed in both aspects!

The Total Nutrition Pack consists of three books which work together to cover all aspects of your nutrition strategy.

Firstly, there is a recipe book: ‘Fitness Food Over Fifty’.  This has 30 recipes for different times of the day, from breakfasts to main meal desserts.  All designed to be easy to cook, nutritious and, most important, delicious!  It’s fully illustrated, and has a breakdown of each recipe into total calories plus the grams of each macronutrient – protein, carbs and fat – plus fibre.

Finally, if you’re using MyFitnessPal or a similar app to track your daily food, you’ll find that each recipe has a barcode which the app can read directly.

Next, as I know you love eating out as well as cooking at home, there is a food-in-restaurant guide called ‘Eating Out Over Fifty’.  It covers a number of the main chain restaurants, such as my two favourites.  For each main menu item from all of the restaurants, you get the calories listed plus again the breakdown of those calories into the main constituent macronutrients.

So, you can factor in the important numbers from when you’re eating out just as you could do at home using the first book.

Finally, if you’re not quite sure how many calories you should be eating, at what times, and how you divide that into macronutrients, then there is my guide to this area: ‘Easy Fitness Nutrition’.  I wrote this guidebook to help you define your nutrition strategy in terms of the numbers used, and show how you combine these figures to help you in your goals.

This book keeps the explanation as easy as possible, and the maths as simple as I can.  There is also a link to a couple of extra videos to help.

The price is £25 for all three books, delivered to you as email attachments for viewing on your devices or laptop. Or on a USB stick sent by post if you prefer. You can of course print them out and bind them if you want.

See more about the Pack by watching the video by clicking here.

And order the Pack by clicking here.

Try this for biceps and forearms in one…

A great biceps exercise is the Cross-Body Hammer Curl, which specifically targets the brachioradialis – along the top edge of the forearm – as well as traditional biceps muscles.

I consider it biceps, you can include it with forearm exercises rather than biceps if you wish, but whichever you prefer, make sure you include it!

Click here.

This is exercise A42 in my exercise numbering system – see the Workouts tab for more.

 

Full upper leg training – without squats or deadlifts

I have slightly rubbish shoulder girdle flexibility, so I avoid traditional back squats.

And a slightly dodgy lower back, too. So I avoid deadlifts.

But I reckon I get just as good a leg workout with a variety of machine and free weight exercises, as seen in this video. OK, there are a couple of squats – Smith Machine and Goblet – but the Smith Machine is much easier on my uncertain shoulders than a free bar. And Goblet Squats keep the shoulders well out of it. Add in Hamstring Curls and Leg Extensions for focusing on Hams and Quads, plus some nice low-back-support Leg Presses, then I’ve got my upper legs covered.

While minimising the risk to my shoulders or lower back.

If you have flexibility or mobility issues in those body areas, but still want a thorough leg workout, try this combination.

See the video by clicking here.

Behind the scenes at my 60th birthday photohoot

I did a photoshoot with great photographer Simon Howard on the occasion of my 60th birthday.  It’s not the best that I’ve looked, but I don’t think its too bad for someone of my age – especially as you know I was obese 10 years earlier.

It only lasts a minute, so it’s a cramming down of two hours activity – but I hope you get a flavour of what it’s like.

 

September is Muscle Beach Championship time!

I came 5th in the Muscle Beach Championships Physique Class in the sunshine of Venice, Los Angeles one year ago.
 
It’s the most recent video on my channel – Click here for video.
 
Fifth may not sound great, but everyone else in my category was at least 15 years younger than me, with over-35 being the requirement to enter this group. I was massively pleased to get a trophy position, these being awarded down to 5th.
 
But that’s all history now. I’ll be back next year and I’ll have my eyes on that 4th place trophy – or better!

Dumbbell Bicep Curls – New Video and Form Tips

Who loves training biceps? Yes, me too. And in the yard outside Gold’s in front of that wall in the evening is the best place and time to do it. Anywhere on the planet.

Worst thing about Gold’s? I have to go home to the UK at the end of each trip. Best thing? I’m back in two months!

Click here for video

Hope you notice the form – key tips:

(1) Lower Slower – make sure the weight lowers slower than coming up,

(2) Don’t sway backwards and forwards – keep the torso as locked as possible,

(3) Eyes front, not down, to help posture in the shoulder, and

(4) Try to keep the upper arm fixed, ideally only the elbow moves. My flexibility is a bit ropey on that last one, but I’m working on it!

Many thanks to Dan Wynes as my contest prep coach on the trip, doubling as camera guy for this one.

Great pec fly machine!

Chest flyes are always good, and particularly so here at Golds Venice where this little beauty of a machine lives.

Form tips for this :

(1) keep the angle at the elbows constant,

(2) lower slower – keep the weight under control and don’t let the weights touch the stack during the set,

(3) keep the upper body still, hold the upper middle back against the seat back.

Watch the video by clicking here.

Power Breakfast Time

I’m often asked about a good way of starting a day’s eating. What can I eat that is very nutritious, filling, easy to make and tasty?

The answer for me is my Power Breakfast! Read all about it in my article in the July issue of Gym Owner Monthly Magazine – read the article here or the full magazine is available as a free download by clicking here.

 

Own Your Fears

My favourite health care company is AXA PPP healthcare – and the team there have been involving me in their ‘Own Your Fears’ campaign. My story is being used to inspire others in my age group think about reasons they should move towards a fitter lifestyle – rather than being reluctant to do that.
 
Here’s the full article on their site:  
 
I’m pleased to be invited to be part of this important campaign and do what I can – as always – to help everyone in the better half of their first century conquer their fears, adding years to their life, and life to their years.

Hanging Raises Options

One group of ab exercises that have proved a challenge for me since I started doing them at age 55 are hanging raises.

I’m looking to improve my form on these, I really don’t do them anywhere near often enough and I’ve set myself a target to do them top notch by the time I’m 70!

Here you see a set of knee raises, straight(-ish) leg raises, twisting knee raises and finishing with a couple of wipers.  It’s the latest video on my YouTube Channel – click here.