Motivation

Motivation, its a powerful thing. It keeps you chasing your goals and encourages you to work harder and harder to bring those goals closer. Motivation can come in a variety of forms from direct or indirect influences. Since I've started to really train (16 months ago) people have commented on my commitment and asked me where my motivation and drive comes from. It got me questioning myself and at first I struggled to see what set me apart from a lot of others. I don't see training/dieting as a means to an end, and I absolutely love everything about them. My motivation boils down to the fact that I see this as a lifestyle and not just a chore. That's not just a self centred and narcissistic claim, take a moment to think about some big fitness icons. They love to train in the same way that any sports people love to train. They do this because they want to and not because they have to.

A phrase that always rang true for me was 'A Product of My Environment' I first heard this from Fitness Made EZ (Paul Corkery) and its a term that needs little analysis but has rather a strong meaning. Everyone is a product of their environment in some way or another. What if you constructed your own environment? By this I mean that you could surround yourself with people and communities that support and reinforce your own goals. Find those positive influences that encourage you to make that change for the better and connect with them. The fitness community is vast and usually extremely welcoming (in my experience). If you put in the work to surround yourself with these influences then you will definitely reap the rewards.

One thing that I've always been guilty of is beating myself up about my appearance and if it weren't for the people around me I'd still see myself in the same way. Its hard to see your own progress when you're so used to looking at yourself in a mirror on a daily basis. Pictures can help, but I prefer to rely on the input of friends and family. I've become so frustrated at points after months of clean eating and hard training and not seeing a difference, it took an outsider's view to make me realise that I'd made a lot more progress than I'd first thought.

So, the bottom line? Motivation can come from anywhere, but it doesn't just appear out of nowhere. You have to put in the effort to find your positive influences and to adapt your mindset. At first it all might seem like a chore, but give it a chance - you might learn to love it.

This is the part that I love the most, the name dropping. Like I said, you have to find your own inspiration; but maybe you could start by looking at who inspired me. In the beginning I had one single inspiration in the form of Fitness Made EZ - Paul Corkery (@Fitnessmadeez on Twitter and Facebook). I've learned a lot from him thanks to his non-bullshit, tenacious and active approach. As both a fitness source and a fighter, his input and support have been a huge help to me and he continues to be one of the big influences on my lifestyle. Next are the guys over at BodyActive. They included me in their community and offered me so much support and even gave me the opportunity to blog on their website (which I'd love to do on a regular basis), frankly I'm humbled to be a part of that community. Icon Nutrition have also been a huge influence, especially lately. They're amazing to interact with, always there to offer their input and they have a great team of athletes to help with that. Also they happen to make some of the most amazing supplements that I've ever tried. Kavan Byrne also provided some specific input, I had trouble training certain areas and he pointed me in the right direction and had me making gains again. I also recently discovered Emmy Glover's blog (lovelaughandlift.blogspot.co.uk) which is actually a really refreshing and balanced view on training and a healthy lifestyle, and I look forward to reading more of her posts.

That's all from me for now! Hopefully I'll be able to get some more posts up soon. Make sure to check out everyone that I've mentioned and see for yourself why I rate them so highly. As always, if you've got any questions then you can catch me on Twitter (@Wrighty__).

The Weight Training Antidote - REVIEW!

I've been telling myself for a while that I'd sit down and take a long look at this FREE E-book, after all - what's the harm in taking advantage of free advice from an experienced source? There's no harm at all, in the health and fitness industry, experience acts as a huge cornerstone and its something that allows people to pass on tips and advice to help maximise others' training. For anyone that's not heard of this E-book, its written by Adam Kitchen, the founder of DPA Fitness - which is based primarily in Hong Kong. I first discovered Adam through the forums over at BodyActive whilst I was partaking in my trial of X Factor Advanced. He's a big contributor to their forums and always on hand to offer advice and words of support. Basically, what I'm saying is that the author of this E-book is a trusted and sincere source - he's not going to try and sell you wonder supplements, or bullshit you with mountains of unnecessary technical jargon. Instead he keeps things as simple as possible and makes his points as easy to understand as possible. He achieves this by first introducing his topics, then breaking them down and analysing them, before concisely bullet pointing the key points to be taken from those topics. Therefore you're receiving this information in three different styles, all of which compliment each other and make it all easy to understand. The text is also structured simply which again makes it easy to understand. Although this book is relatively short (53 pages) - it contains concise and reliable information, backed up by solid scientific evidence.

Now, enough about the structure of the book - on to the content! I'm very wary of giving too much away with regard to the information contained within the text, so I'll try and omit any chance of spoilers. Basically, Adam introduces a system to break up what he considers to be the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle (A simple system which I thoroughly agree with) - He then goes into these key aspects in detail in each chapter. Basically, any aspect of healthy life that you can think of - Adam has it covered in one way or another, whether it's in regard to Training, Nutrition, etc. He also offers a complete and detailed structure for successful training plans, and even goes as far as to offer a sample of these workouts. The structure that he offers is something that I'd toyed with the idea of but I'd never really looked into it in detail - after reading his explanations of this structure, its something that I'll definitely be adopting with regard to future training. It's safe to say that this method has completely blown my mind and changed my outlook on training! He also offers some solid nutritional advice that I'll most definitely be adopting, as its the thing that I most struggle with. You can probably find some of this nutritional advice by piecing together countless other sources, but 'The Weight Training Antidote' is the only place that you'll find this information plus more in a coherent and effective manner.

For all of those people that are reading this, and thinking 'It sounds like a bodybuilding guide' or 'Its just for men' then you are SEVERELY mistaken. This e-book is about WEIGHT TRAINING - whilst some may associate that directly with bodybuilding, its not the case. Adam describes how and why lifting weights is the most efficient form of exercise and training, not just for bodybuilders, but for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, or even beginners that are looking to get healthy and fit and tone up. In addition to this, he explores the myths and reasons behind the inhibitions held by women over weight training, and why it won't turn them into hulk-like figures, and just make them toned and sexy instead. He offers training tips for both beginners and more advanced enthusiasts too. Overall, within 'The Weight Training Antidote' - Adam Kitchen provides his readers with a tried and tested system which is designed to allow people to lead a healthier lifestyle without having to sacrifice their social life or put things on hold. He doesn't aim this at a specific audience, he aims it at EVERYONE - It doesn't matter if you're Male or Female, Beginner or Advanced - this book will give you the tools and advice necessary to make a huge change in your life, without drastically affecting the other important things. In short, if you're interested in health and fitness in any way, then this book is a must read, I'm giving it a huge 10/10 for both content and structure!

For anyone that's interested in reading this E-book, you can download it for free from the DPA Fitness website  - http://dpafitness.com/the-weight-training-antidote ; Also for anyone that's interested in getting involved in BodyActive's community (Which is also free) then just head over to www.bodyactive-nation.co.uk and create yourself an account. If you're on Twitter then get following @DPAFitness and @BodyActive. You can also find me on Twitter @Wrighty__ and on Facebook - www.facebook.com/A.Wright.Fitness. Now get over to DPA and download this book, you will not be disappointed. Happy reading!
Take it easy
Alex.

Weekly Update

First off I'd like to apologise for the lateness of this post, I'll try and have updates up every Monday in future. Now, on to business - I've just completed my first week of training and its been an interesting experience. I'll hold my hands up and admit that I haven't been strict enough with my diet and I'm rectifying that this week. However, despite my cheat days I've still managed to make some major headway in the form of weight loss and muscle gain. For anyone that missed the previous post, my stats at the beginning of last week broke down like this -

Legs - 25.5 inches

Arms - 16 inches

Chest - 42.25 inches

Weight - 96.5kg

Max Deadlift weight - 100kg

Max Squat weight - 95kg (Below Parallel)

I managed to stick to my training completely last week, completing full body workouts in the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and also partaking in cardio exercise on Tuesday and Thursday. On Sunday I managed to fit in a fasting day, despite wanting to eat everything around me by the end of the day. With regard to supplements, I've been taking three Warrior Blaze capsules per training day, with a Diet protein shake post workout. Anyway, on to the results; I weighed in and measured up on Monday of this week, and here is how the stats have changed:

Legs - 26 inches

Arms - 16 inches

Chest - 44.25 inches

Weight - 92kg

Max Deadlift Weight - 130kg

Max Squat Weight - 112.5kg

So as you can see I've managed to make some major strength gains which I'm hoping to increase again by the end of the week. I've also managed to lose some significant weight - 4.5kg (9.9 pounds) whilst gaining muscle mass on both my legs and chest, whilst maintaining muscle on my arms. Its safe to say that the past week of training has been a successful one, despite my nutritional lapses. However, due to the huge weight loss this week, I'm not expecting anything big in the following week, I'll be happy just to maintain the weight that I'm at, as I'm hugely ahead of target, sitting just behind the half way point for my target. 

I've had a few people ask me how I manage to lose the weight and how I keep myself motivated. With regard to the weight loss, its all about the amount of effort you put in. I pride myself on pushing myself past my limits in every gym session and working as hard as possible - to put it simply, if you're not sweating heavily and feeling your muscles start to ache at the end of a session, then you're just not doing it right. With regard to eating, the last week has been an exception for me. I've learned to love healthy foods just as much as junk foods, and I try to keep my diet interesting. If you've got a boring and tasteless diet, then its more likely that you're going to want to cheat it and eat junk food. With regard to motivation, I get my motivation from seeing myself in the mirror week after week and seeing the improvements that training is having on my body, but most importantly I don't see my training as a chore or something I have to force myself into. It's become a huge part of my life now, and spending 3-5 sessions in the gym per week is standard to me, its just a bonus that I see such amazing results from it. Also, its all about who you surround yourself with, I try to surround myself with people that are passionate about fitness, Icon Nutrition have helped me massively with workout tips and info, Kavan Byrne has also been a huge source of info. Of course Fitness Made EZ has helped me massively with regard to motivation and my training approach, my last 5 months of training have been attributed to his advice and guidance. Also I encourage you all to get over to the community at bodyactive-nation.co.uk - its an amazing community to be a part of and they've helped me a lot over the past few months.

Well I hope that everyone's enjoyed this post, for anyone that's interested in my workout routine or the structure of my diet, its all in the post preceding this one. If people have any feedback or questions or even want to join me in my journey (as I've said before I'm happy to offer nutrition and exercise tips) then you can catch me on Twitter (@Wrighty) on Facebook (www.facebook.com/A.Wright.Fitness) or alternatively just leave a comment in the box below! 

Take it easy

Alex.

Up and running once again!

I thought that its about time that I updated this, apologies for the long wait in between posts. Since I've been away there's been so many new developments and my own training has come on massively, so much so that I've decided to share my experiences. Around the beginning of March I had the honour and pleasure of test driving a supplement for BodyActive (www.bodyactive-nation.co.uk) My entire log and final review for the product can be found here - http://www.bodyactive-nation.co.uk/forum/Supplement-Logs/4912-X-Factor-Advanced-Log. The supplement in question is called X Factor Advanced, essentially its a product that utilises Arachidonic Acid (an omega-6 fatty acid that has been proven to have anabolic benefits) to help build some serious lean muscle and promote strength increases. The trial itself was a 50 day trial, consisting of an intake of four servings (in capsule form) of the XFA per day. To give the supplement a chance to reach its full efficiency I increased my meals to four per day and increased my protein intake massively. The product not only did exactly as it promised, but it produced results that I wasn't ready for at all. For example due to my neglect, I was only able to deadlift 60-70kg before I tried the product. By the end of the cycle my deadlifts had increased to 120-130kg which was an increase that I couldn't ever have fathomed. In addition to gaining some serious strength and muscle, I also managed to drop 6kg in weight in the process thanks to a strict diet. 

Despite the amazing results that I saw on the XFA cycle, I'll be the first to admit that I've slipped in recent weeks - not so much with training, but with diet. Due to that fact I've managed to go back to 96kg in weight, whether that is due to some muscle mass or fat or a mixture of both remains to be seen. In light of this, I've decided to dedicate my summer (the next 12-14 weeks) to finally ridding myself of the rest of the weight that I'm carrying. As extra motivation I'm being joined by a friend (who will also be allowing me to post his progress on the blog) in my efforts. We'll be recording our stats at the beginning and at the end of our transformations and in addition will be sharing our diets and training plans. Personally I managed to shed 25kg of weight last summer, and I'm aiming to lose 12 kg in total this summer. Although this is only half of the weight that I shed last year, I'm anticipating that its going to be a lot harder to lose - due to this I've upped the intensity of my training and scrutinized  my diet to get the maximum results. So anyway, here are the stats for me at this moment in time - 

Weight - 96.5kg

Arm Size - 16"

Leg Size - 25.5"

Waist - 36"

My workout split at the moment is breaking down like this - 

Dynamic Warm up (Circuit, 2 sets)

Alt. Lunges - 12 each side

Deadbugs - 15 reps

Woodchops - 12 reps

Side Chops - 12 reps

Set 1 (Circuit)

Barbell Squats (5 Sets, 6 reps)

Dumbbell Chest press (4 sets, 10 reps)

Barbell Row - 4 sets, 10 reps)

Set 2 (Circuit)

Bent Leg Deadlifts - (5 sets, 6 reps)

Lat pulldown (4 sets, 10 reps)

Push Press (Dumbbells, 4 sets, 10 reps)

Set 3 (Circuit)

Press ups (2 sets, 15 reps)

Y Raises (On bench, 2 sets, 15 reps)

Cable Row (2 sets, 15 reps)

Due to the fact that my routine covers the whole body, I have decided to execute this three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). On the days that I'm not in the gym I'll be performing cardio (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) with Sunday being effectively a rest day. However as I'm a glutton for punishment I'm going to use Sunday as a day to fast, which will probably include me participating in fasted cardio, most likely brisk walking. After six weeks of this particular routine I'll be re-evaluating my progress and looking to switch things up to keep my training fresh and keep those positive results coming in. With regard to supplements I've kept things simple - I'm currently taking Warrior Blaze (Which happens to be the best and most powerful fat burner on the market, plus it gives you a huge buzz so doubles as a pre workout supplement), I'm also taking a multivitamin from MyProtein and Cod liver oil capsules. The protein that I'm currently using is MyProtein's diet whey, which is tasty and cheap and seems to be delivering promising results.

Anyone that would like to join myself and Rob in our efforts is more than welcome, just get in touch with me on here, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/a.w.fitness) or on Twitter - @Wrighty__. I'll try and help anyone that is serious about making a change by formulating workouts and helping with nutrition. I also want to say a quick thank you for the support I've received from everyone throughout my training. I always say this but a huge influence on my training and motivation, both directly and indirectly is Paul 'EZ' Corkery (www.facebook.com/fitnessmadeez, @Fitnessmadeez, www.youtube.co.uk/glyphmedia, www.flexdem.com). He's always there to give tips and offer his advice if its needed, plus he sells some awesome merchandise! In addition to this I'd also like to give a huge thank you to BodyActive and CDS Nutrition who have been really supportive and were generous enough to give me the opportunity to log a supplement (an honour that I hope may be repeated at some point). They also distribute some quality supplements at a really good price so check their website out - www.bodyactive-nation.co.uk. It's also worth signing up to the site and joining the forums, there's so much that I've learned by simply reading through the discussions! Also a quick shoutout to Icon Nutrition and in particular Kavan Byrne who have given me some good training tips over the past few weeks which have helped me make some serious headway with my training. 

Well that's everything that I had to update you all on. Hope that I haven't bored anyone and that you've all taken something from the post. Any feedback on the post is welcome as always, just get in touch with me over Facebook, Twitter or here and I'll reply as soon as I can. 

Train hard, but train safely,

Alex.

Update!

Considering the fact that I haven't touched this blog in a while, I've decided that it's time for an update - a bit of explanation behind where I've been hiding. Anyone that's been following my Facebook and Twitter posts will know that for the last 3 weeks I've been logging a supplement for BodyActive Nation. I've also produced some independent blog posts for their blogging community and sadly its meant neglecting this page greatly. The supplement that I've been logging is called X Factor Advanced developed by a company called Molecular Nutrition. Basically, as BodyActive describe it ' X-Factor has the ability to rapidly assist in lean muscle mass gains, increase fat burning properties and amplify your response to training'. It's main ingredient is Arachidonic acid, an ergogenic acid that has a huge reputation for producing muscle gains. I've been taking this supplement for just over 3 weeks now, and its produced results beyond my wildest dreams. I've toned up and gained some serious muscle, especially in my shoulders.


Of course, its not just been the X Factor that's helped me to push towards my goals as of late. I've recently weighed in at 91.6kg - that's a whole 31kg lost since I started my weight loss journey. I've learned the hard way that if you don't take control of all areas of your lifestyle, then you've got no chance of really hitting your top goals. Since starting to log XFA, I've completely changed my lifestyle and really sorted out my training to ensure that I get the maximum benefits from such a powerful supplement. My diet is now cleaner than ever, and my training is hitting levels of intensity that I could only dream of previously. Of course, I haven't managed to do this all by myself; I've had a lot of help. Most of which has come from EZ, training wise I'm now loosely following his regime with regard to split and cycle. I've also taken some nutritional tips by following his training.


I guess to sum up this post; I've managed to really edge closer to my goals now, and they're almost in touching distance. Lately I've seen a lot of people wanting to commit to their training, but not knowing where to start, or even starting blind. I cannot stress how important it is to really plan your approach to training. A lot of the time, you're going to have to find ways to motivate yourself, you're going to feel like giving up at some point and some things will feel so easy to give in to. I say this because I've experienced it all myself - it's not going to be an easy ride at all. If you really want to reach your goals, you have to put everything you have into getting there. Sacrifices will have to be made, some that you really don't want to make. Believe me though when I tell you that it's all going to be worth it in the end. The sense of self achievement for seeing your goals get closer with each week is just amazing, its one of the best feelings in the world. One of the biggest tips that I can give you is to surround yourself with positive influences. One of the motto's that I live by now is one that I've been introduced to by EZ - 'A Product Of My Environment'. This could not be more true. For anyone that hasn't seen EZ's page, you can find him at - www.facebook.com/fitnessmadeez www.flexdem.com and www.youtube.co.uk/glyphmedia. They've helped me massively along my journey. Anyway, until next time guys,

Train hard, but train safe,


Alex.

XPLODE!

In the time in which I’ve been boxing, I’ve had some comments about the power of my punches and how they’ve improved. At first I put this down to natural progression; however after thinking about it, I discovered that the increased power output was due to my gym sessions – specifically my warm up. I came across this gem of a warm up in a workout video for Terry Crews as he prepared for his role in The Expendables (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-uBxxK4c3U). This short and sweet warm up really gets your engine running for a workout and also it works on your explosive power (perfect for people partaking in contact sports: Boxers, rugby players etc.)

In light of this warm up, I’ve tried my hand at creating a full workout solely based on developing and harnessing explosive power. Not only will it do that, it also works your full body, brilliant for your core and also because the movements are so fast it can serve as some form of cardio. It consists of ten exercises which are set out in the form of three circuits (4, 4, 2). Realistically you’re looking to complete 8-10 reps for each exercise, with two-three minutes rest in between sets. So without further ado, I’ll break it down.

Circuit 1

Jump Squats (With Barbell) – begin with normal squat motion, on ascent explode upwards and propel yourself off the floor.

Push Press (Barbell) – Hold bar at shoulder height, bend knees slightly. Quickly straighten legs and explode upwards with the bar, essentially performing a shoulder press.

Deadlifts (Barbell)

Kettlebell Swings – Using a single kettlebell, keep your back straight and legs slightly bent. Combine the power in your hips and arms to create a swinging motion, bring the kettlebell parallel with your shoulders and lower slowly.

Circuit 2

Power Clean and Press (Barbell)

Jumping Lunges (Holding medicine ball) – Perform a jump lunge and alternate legs, no break between legs. Ensure that you hold the medicine ball out in front of you.

Clap press ups

Swinging plate jumps – Begin in a half squat position with a light weight plate in each hand (2.5kg). Extend the plates behind you. Proceed to swing the plates forwards whilst jumping as high as possible.

Circuit 3

Box Jumps

Upright row (barbell)

So there it is, a workout designed to develop your explosive power whilst getting your muscles toned and ripped. You only need a light weight for this workout, I’d definitely recommend beginning with a really low weight. I again only use 30kg for the whole thing and its enough to really work me hard. Hopefully some of you will feel confident enough to try this workout, please feel free to come to me with any feedback or questions and any results if you do decide to stick with it. It's shown positive results both for myself and for my training partner; its definitely worth a go if you want to really unlock a high power output!

Train hard, but train safe,

Alex.

Nutrition Update

Over the last 6 months or so, I've been training hard and eating relatively clean but not necessarily adhering to a strict diet plan at all. In the interest of honesty, I can confess to many occasions where I've eaten junk food and strayed from my healthy eating. At first I felt pretty bad about it, but then I just came to realise that I'm only human, and that I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I mean, a bar of chocolate is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Its when the junk food becomes the only thing that you eat that a problem really arises. Anyway, in the last 6 months I've managed to progress massively with regard to weight loss, muscle gain and general toning. At the moment my total weight loss is 26.5kg, which amounts to just over four stone. Due to the noticeable amount of muscle mass that I've gained, its not easy to determine how much fat I've actually managed to shred. Whilst trying to eat as clean as possible, I also started intermittent fasting, opting to use 24 hour fasts twice a week for fat loss.

Whilst my original approach has produced promising results and I haven't plateaued as of yet, I still couldn't help that I could go even further with my weight loss and produce the results that I wanted even faster. With that in mind, I did all of my research and came up with a new eating routine for myself. Due to the fact that my training is going to be quite intense, I've made sure to keep a decent amount of slow digesting carbohydrates in my diet. To make this easier to follow, I'll outline this nutrition plan first and explain it afterwards.

Breakfast -
1 Pint of iced water
75g Instant oats
2 Small oranges

Snack - Handful of walnuts

Lunch - Quinoa Salad

Snack - Celery

Dinner - 1 Chicken breast (200g), Broccoli, Carrots, Kale, Green beans, Cous Cous (50g)

Snack - Blueberries

Obviously throughout the day I'll be chugging down as much water as possible and I'm aiming to drink at least one mug of green tea per day. In addition to this I'll be taking two Warrior Blaze Reborn capsules daily (one in the morning, one in the early afternoon). With regard to protein shakes, I'll be mixing them with almond milk; I'll be having one pre and one post workout. My pre workout shake will also contain wheatgerm for added protein - it has also been known to show improvements for strength; definitely something that I have to try out for myself. I'll also still be intermittent fasting for 24 hours twice a week - both on non training days. I'll be undertaking this nutrition plan for just over 3 months, bringing me up to the start of May. I'm also going to be taking progression pictures each month.

Well I hope that this post has been useful for at least some people, and maybe it'll even spur some people on to make their approach that much more intense. If anyone's got any feedback for this post, you can contact me on Facebook  - www.facebook.com/A.Wright.Fitness Twitter - @Wrighty__ Or alternatively leave a comment underneath this post. So until next time everyone, wherever you are,
Train hard, but train safe,
Alex.

Cardio or Weight Training - Which is better for Weight Loss?

So, now we've hit the new year most people's goals will be to get rid of that holiday weight and get back into shape. Queue the endless streams of joggers and treadmill demons. Whilst running and other forms of cardio do indeed burn calories and therefore eliminate fat - it's extremely difficult to shed a decent amount of fat through cardio alone. In many ways, weight training (for males and females) is an easier and more effective way of burning that unwanted fat. The first, and most key point that I'm going to introduce to you; is that weight training burns calories before and after a session; whilst cardio exercises only burn fat for the total duration of the exercise. Now its important to note at this point that recently people have become to doubt this approach, but its no secret that there's millions of people that support the same views as myself. The reason for weight training being more effective is that a high muscle mass burns fat during every day activities simply due to the basic amount of energy that it takes to use the muscles. This is also true for periods of rest. In addition to this - there's what is known as the 'afterburn' effect. This is a direct product of an extremely high intensity workout. The only problem with the afterburn is it is extremely hard to achieve - it refers to a state where after any workout, your body's metabolism increases. To get to this state however, you have to achieve a ridiculously high intensity throughout your entire workout; which is no problem to those who rep to failure and give 110% as standard. To keep that kind of intensity up is difficult, but clearly thoroughly rewarding. Please don't mistake this post for me telling people to get into the gym and start becoming bodybuilders; you don't have to lift heavy weights to weight train. If you want to see how effective weight training is for females, all you have to do is head over to Lucy Doyle's Facebook page - www.facebook.com/lucycdoyle. In all honestly my inspiration for this post comes from a post from her page not too long ago; she started out on her own weight loss transformation and coupled weight training with a clean diet and the results she's seen, in the words of one of my friends are 'tremendous'.

In my opinion, weight training is the main way to go when trying to achieve either fat loss or muscle gain. However I'm not condemning cardio as a form of exercise. Obviously those who are engaged in any form of sport (myself included) will need to keep up some form of cardio routine to keep their fitness and stamina up.  My own personal approach is to combine 2-3 sessions of cardio (Boxing/Hockey) in a week with pure weight training and a small amount of cardio through weights (My warm up). Personally I've found this approach to be very effective, though I will be increasing my cardio in order to gain a higher level of fitness for boxing. In other words, I've fit every approach into my training as my boxing drills even contain a hell of a biometric workout. Though there's more of an emphasis on weight training over cardio. I'm not saying to forget about the cardio completely, I am saying that maybe its time to up that weight training and start experimenting with cardio through weights. If anyone wants to try a cardio with weights program, there's one on the earlier posts in this workout named 'Killer Workout' - however if I get enough interest in it I'm more than happy to adapt it into an entry level workout to work your way up to the intense one. Obviously if you're just looking to build muscle and not keep a decent level of cardiovascular fitness then heavy weight training is the way forward, however mixing in some cardio with weights, even if its just for a warmup (A prime example of this is Terry Crews' '24s' warm up) can be highly beneficial with regard to getting yourself pumped for a workout and hitting your entire body to get it ready for some intense weight training.

Well I hope this information has been useful to you all. Obviously I'm not saying that changing your workout style and nothing else can help you lose weight, you have to change your diet to help yourself! The best way to tackle a change in lifestyle is to get as much information as possible from a range of sources. With that in mind I want to direct you all to my personal favourite sources that have helped me infinitely -
Fitness Made EZ - www.facebook.com/FitnessMadeEZ; @FitnessMadeEZ; www.youtube.co.uk/glyphmedia; www.flexdem.com

JV Fitness & Nutrition - www.facebook.com/pages/JV-Fitness-Nutrition

Lucy Doyle - www.facebook.com/lucycdoyle

The Hodgetwins/ TwinMuscleWorkout - www.youtube.co.uk/user/twinmuscleworkout

Also can you all please like my page on Facebook - www.facebook.com/a.wright.fitness and direct any feedback there. Stay tuned for more posts in the near future! Until next time,
Train hard, but train safe,
Alex.