Maximise your fitness potential this summer with words of wisdom from The Movement Blueprint’s Harvey Lawton.

1. Favour a Full-Body Approach

Full-body training will not only put you in a better position functionally, but it will also utilise and burn far more calories than a bodypart split routine. Adopting this approach and incorporating multi-joint/compound patterns will hugely benefit the outcome of your training – from both a performance and aesthetic perspective.

TRY THIS: The One Weight Plate Workout For Full-Body Muscle

2. Don’t Shy Away 

Favour a strength endurance stimulus, moving moderate to heavy load for higher reps/longer working sets. Incorporate mixed modality training, too, with the use of cardio machines, loaded carries and dynamic movements. These will allow you to continue building muscle while incorporating power and strength work into your sessions.

3. Keep Up the Cardio

These sessions can be at a lower intensity, just make sure you incorporate bodyweight movements as well as traditional forms of cardio. These sessions are a great tool to increase output without placing high stress on the body, as well as helping to increase rate of recovery between weighted workouts.

4. Better Input = Better Output

Fuel your body with good nutrition. Ensure you’re eating enough to make use of the training you’re doing, as opposed to putting yourself in a ditch by being in a huge calorie deficit. Play the long game – prioritising protein and hydration.

Three Ways to Eat for Fat Loss

  1. Drink lots of water
    Water is fundamental to the proper function of the some 15 trillion cells in the human body. Drinking enough is also an effective strategy for increasing satiety and preventing overeating.
  2. Cut the crap
    In the long run, sugars, additives, saturated fats and excess salt are all detrimental to athletic performance. The foods they’re packed into also tend to be highly calorific and sometimes even addictive. Keep it out of house and out of mind.
  3. Portion your plates
    If you’re not using a nutrition-tracking app like MyFitnessPal, the simple rule is to divide your plate into thirds. Fill one third with lean protein, one third with colourful vegetables, and the final third with slow-release carbs.

5. Dot the Is and Cross the Ts

Build habits around your training that will allow you to perform. Sleep hygiene (7-9 hours per night), NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and general activity levels will go a long way to helping you build your best body.

RELATED: Five Ways to Improve your NEAT

 

The Movement Blueprint’s ‘Performance’ programme delivers five workouts a week, combining strength training with mobility and corrective exercise. Find out more at themovementblueprint.co