This is a guest post by strength & conditioning coach Phil Nourse. Phil is a certified weightlifting coach by both BWLA and USAW. And he recently became a dad.

Gubernatrix stated in her manifesto that “I am more than ever convinced that there is a great need for support for women to get involved, break down barriers, educate and be educated and be able to empower themselves through strength training.”

Not only do I wholeheartedly endorse this statement but I want to add an extra dimension to it, namely the vital role which I believe strength training plays in pre-natal preparation.

A very good friend of mine is Jenny Burrell, a lady who is seen as, arguably, the leading pre- and post-natal training specialist in the UK today. To any woman who is planning on getting pregnant, is pregnant or whom has given birth I implore you to get in touch with Jenny. To any coach or personal trainer with an interest in this field you simply have to get onto one of her training courses (www.burrelleducation.com).

Jenny is someone who eats, sleeps and breathes her field; hell, how many people are so passionate about their profession that they are prepared to be vaginally probed to further their understanding?! More on that later.

Jenny’s approach is far more sophisticated than the traditional, haphazard “just kinda squeeze your pelvic floor muscles every so often” protocol which is basically what the NHS and many other pre/post-natal trainers have long proposed. Although Jenny uses these conscious, ‘squeezing’ techniques, known as Kegels, she largely advocates a much more subconscious approach to training the pelvic floor. If you have read the quite wonderful paper ‘The Myth of Core Stability’ by Dr. Eyal Lederman, then this approach will make perfect sense to you, if you have not then hunt it down.

In this paper Lederman talks at length about his concerns over current trends in training core muscles. At one juncture he states:

“The new models encourage the subjects to “think about their core” during functional activities. One wonders if David Beckham thinks about the “core” before a free kick or Michael Jordan when he slam-dunks or for that matter our patient who is running after a bus, cooking or any other daily activities. How long can they maintain that thought while multitasking in complex functional activities? Maybe thinking about the core is not such a good idea for sports training.”

My contention is that Lederman is absolutely right. In a healthy individual the core muscles work reflexively in sporting environments as generally actions occur far too fast and far too unpredictably for blanket ‘core bracing’ to have any relevance.

There is actually a very strong argument that bracing the core, e.g. setting the transverse abdominis, whilst training for sporting activities impairs that ability of the core muscles to receive a reflexive training effect and thus their function in a real world sporting environment is heavily impaired. I often watch videos of my weightlifters frame by frame and some of the work you see take place in the trunk is quite simply phenomenal…but I can guarantee you they weren’t thinking about that mid snatch or jerk.

So what is the relevance of this borderline tangential debate to pre/post natal training? Well let me sum it up in this way: you’ve just had a baby, you’re up at the Comedy Store, someone tells a funny joke, by the time you’ve thought to brace your pelvic floor you’ve already wet yourself!

Which brings us back nicely to Jenny’s subconscious, reflexive approach to pre/post-natal training. Jenny and I have actually done some very interesting EMG based testing of exercises and the involvement of the pelvic floor in each. As I mentioned previously, Jenny’s passion for this area is so great that she volunteered to perform these exercises whilst wearing (I’m really not convinced that’s the right word!) a vaginal EMG electrode probe. This probe allowed us to measure the activation of the pelvic floor in each exercise, measured in microvolts (µV). The results were fascinating to me. The traditional Kegel exercises, the fundamental shortfalls of which have already been discussed, brought about an EMG response of just over 75µV.

Now when we tested a wide stance squat (unloaded) what did we see? Interestingly the EMG recording showed peak values of almost double that recorded with the conscious, ‘isolation’ Kegel exercises; they were getting on for 150µV!

To understand this we need to go back to the Dr. Lederman debate and some basic physiology.

The pelvic floor is quite simply a ‘figure-8’ of muscles which surround, in a woman, the vagina and anus. In the basest of terms these muscles exist to stop your insides falling out of your body through your holes. So logically if your feet are wide spread and you drop into a squat there is a reflexive, instinctive response contraction (a stretch reflex perhaps?) in your pelvic floor muscles; there simply has to be or else everything falls out!

It appears as if the response is even greater if speed of squat is increased. What is interesting is the magnitude of this contraction, i.e. the EMG signal with a reflexive contraction is almost twice that of a conscious one!

To those of us who understand how to take advantage of the stretch reflex in a countermovement jump, jerk, push press or the transition/’double knee bend’ phase in a clean or snatch, this will make perfect sense. The subconscious is less inhibited than the conscious when it comes to innervation, contraction and force expression.

We then took things a step further and had a look at squat jumping. The results were staggering. We witnessed EMG recordings approaching 900µV! That is 12 times greater than the Kegels!

Clearly under explosive conditions the reflexive, subconscious engagement of the pelvic floor takes what we saw in the wide stance squat to new levels.

So what can we take from this information? Well how about this as a recommendation? “Just do stuff”. It strikes me that what this evidence should be telling women is that if you want to keep your down belows in the best condition possible through pregnancy and after you simply have to move and move vigorously.

The other thing I find interesting is that squatting and jumping give us the greatest responses. Hmmm…squatting and jumping, sounds an awful lot like Olympic weightlifting no? Now if we can get a response 12 times greater with a bodyweight squat jump, imagine what we could produce with a 1.5x bodyweight clean and jerk, or bodyweight snatch!

I will end this discussion with a real world example very close to my heart…and in fact physically close to me as both of the two people I am about to mention are lying next to me as a I write this. On August 25th 2010 I was blessed with my first baby, a beautiful strapping little boy called Dallas David Nourse. Now my wife, Veronika, started training in Olympic weightlifting for about a year before we conceived little Dallas and competed until 3½ months pregnant. Even after stopping lifting competitively she continued to train at a lower intensity and was sumo deadlifting around 50kg (very light for her), as well as squatting, benching and shoulder pressing, until 8 months gestation.

What was Veronika’s payoff? Well the pregnancy was textbook, better than textbook in fact, she actually enjoyed every day of the process. The labour was, dare I say it, easy. Little Dallas came out with so little hassle that I almost missed it parking the car after dropping her at the maternity wing! The midwife simply could not believe how straightforward it was. She said that every mother would like to know Veronika’s secret. None of them could get over it. I, of course, knew the secret.

There is a lesson to be learned here from both the science and the real world experience. Women simply need to be more active, they need to be vigorous in their activity and they need to develop strength and power. They need to move quickly and learn to handle the forces this generates. This is how pre-natal, and eventually post-natal, training should be addressed and it shouldn’t just start when you find out you’re pregnant, it’s too late by then.

As Gubes said, “I am more than ever convinced that there is a great need for support for women to get involved, break down barriers, educate and be educated and be able to empower themselves through strength training.” Ladies…this is ‘The Secret’.

Folks, Phil originally wrote this piece last year. I bumped into Veronika a few months ago at a weightlifting competition;  I thought she had come to watch, but she was back competing about 6 months after the birth.

If you are interested in more real life experiences, check out my friend Sally Dixey‘s Crossfit-while-pregnant blog, and for a great post-natal story read about my friend Lieke’s experiences via Stumptuous.

More from gubernatrix

How low should I squat?

Mythbusters! The best of the web

Strength standards for women

Turbo charge your fitness with a simple deck of cards

This has to be the most frequently asked diet question, both in the real world and online. In fact, many people skip this question altogether and proceed straight to ‘I’ve got my protein shakes, how do I use them?’

I don’t blame them – the supplements companies have been immensely successful at creating a link between their products and getting bigger and stronger, or indeed slimmer and fitter.

Many people struggle to attain their goals in the gym and don’t make the progress they have been led to expect, so the idea that you might need aids and products to help you seems intuitively right. Surely ordinary food and ordinary training can’t bring extraordinary results?

Working out exactly how to eat and how to train isn’t easy; it took me years and I’m still learning. If you don’t know what you are doing and you are not getting results, you should really think about hiring a personal trainer who does – but in the meantime, back to those protein shakes you don’t know how to use.

What is a protein shake?

First of all, understand that protein is food and a protein shake is a food product. Protein shakes are generally made from whey or casein (milk protein) or a mixture of both.

Treat a shake like you would any other food. Consider it part of your daily diet, count it in your calories. The protein in protein shakes provides exactly the same amount of energy as the protein in a piece of steak or a pot of yoghurt, which is roughly 4 kcals per gram.

That said, there are reasons that many athletes and gym goers of all shapes and sizes utilise protein shakes. Protein shakes are a tool, like belts or gloves or kettlebells. They can be used successfully to reach goals, or they can be used abominably and create more problems than before.

Your goal is to understand what protein shakes are useful for, and then decide if there’s a place for them in your grand plan.

What are protein shakes for?

While nobody needs protein shakes, they are a useful tool in some situations, relating to one’s lifestyle, type of training or body composition goals.

Convenient: many sources of protein require refrigeration or need to be cooked/prepared in some way. If you lead the sort of lifestyle where you are rushing around, or don’t have access to a fridge at work, or can’t find somewhere decent for lunch, then keeping a tub of protein handy can be very useful. The powder is stored dry so will keep for a while, and only needs water adding to it to make a shake.

Fast acting: protein shakes are fast acting, particularly whey protein; they are processed by the body more quickly than other types of protein. For this reason, they are often used post-workout in order to start the muscle building and repair process as soon as possible. For people who care about muscle building or maintenance, this is important. However, having a meal that includes protein within an hour or two of training also does the job for most of us.

Low in saturated fat: many sources of protein, such as meat, eggs and dairy products, are also high in fat. So upping one’s protein intake (for training or body composition purposes) often means upping one’s saturated fat intake. Protein shakes don’t contain much saturated fat, so for anyone concerned about saturated fat intake, protein shakes can be an advantage over other sources of protein. Of course, there are sources of protein that aren’t high in fat, such as beans and legumes, but not everyone likes them or can eat them in the sort of quantities they need.

Easy to consume: for those who are bulking or need to increase their overall calories for some reason, eating enough food can be difficult. There may be times of day (such as first thing in the morning) where you simply don’t feel like eating. Protein is particularly filling, meaning that you might eat less of it. So adding in some protein shakes can be an easy way of increasing your calories without feeling stuffed all the time. This can be particularly useful for endurance athletes, who don’t want to train with a lot of food sloshing around but need to get the calories in.

But how much protein do I need anyway?

Ay, there’s the rub. For people training on a regular basis, the usual prescription is 1-2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. So a 70kg person would require 70-140g of protein per day. This amount is obtainable from normal food but, for some of the reasons above, a person may get some of it from a shake.

Someone training very frequently or doing a lot of resistance training would be at the top end of that range, 1.5-2g/kg. Someone training less frequently (2-3 times a week) and not doing much resistance training would be at the bottom end of the range, 1-1.5g/kg.

It’s worth noting that our actual protein requirements are controversial: scientists can’t agree on how much protein we really need, whether athletes require more than the general population, how much protein we can utilise at one sitting and so on. This is probably why the advice is so confusing. Anyway, the prescription given above is probably more than we really need, but won’t do any harm.

There are some people who swear by a much higher protein protocol. Lyle Macdonald, for example, recommends that strength/power athletes should aim for 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (about 3.3 g/kg). However, there are studies that show that the body doesn’t use extra protein. Protein that is not used is simply excreted.

Nevertheless, there is evidence – both scientific and anecdotal – that:

“diets with reduced carbohydrates and increased levels of high quality protein are effective for weight loss. These diets appear to provide a metabolic advantage during restricted energy intake that targets increased loss of body fat while reducing loss of lean tissue and stabilizing regulations of blood glucose. Initial findings support use of dietary at levels above 1.5 g/kg during weight loss.”
- Protein Quantity and Quality at Levels above the RDA Improves Adult Weight Loss, Donald K. Layman, PhD (J Am Coll Nutr December 2004 vol. 23 no. suppl 6 631S-636S)

In other words, reducing carbohydrate and replacing it with protein seems to help us burn more fat. It is also known that eating protein burns much more energy than eating carbohydrate or fat (thermic effect of food).

Any downside of protein shakes?

The main downside is that flavoured protein shakes contain sweeteners, additives and what-not. If you are concerned about sugar intake, you might prefer unflavoured protein powder. It doesn’t taste that bad, although you can mix it with something else if you like.

Some brands of protein powder also add in other things like caffeine or green tea extract for ‘fat burning’, or carbs (e.g. maltodextrin) for ‘bulking’. You may or may not want this in your protein, so check the ingredients. It is very possible to get just pure protein, especially if you shop online.

Other than unwanted additional ingredients, there’s nothing wrong with protein powder; it’s a simple enough product. Just be aware that it doesn’t contain the myriad other good things, such as vitamins and minerals, that ‘real food’ protein does, so your diet should still contain good protein sources.

So where does all that leave us?

The chances are that you can get all the protein you need from your diet, but protein shakes might be useful when lifestyle dictates that you can’t eat as well as you’d like.

If you are trying to lose fat or bodyweight, be aware that protein shakes contain calories just like anything else and need to be factored into the overall diet plan, not just added in willy-nilly. There is evidence that higher protein (and lower carbohydate) diets do help fat loss.

Most ordinary trainees, that is, people who are not professional athletes or bodybuilders, can make best use of shakes around training (particularly post training) or to replace the odd meal or snack when nutritious food is not available. For hardgainers (people who find it hard to put on muscle) trying to bulk, a couple of regular protein shakes a day can be a useful boost to daily calorie intake.

I trust you have enough information to make your decision. Personally I have used protein shakes on and off for a while and find them useful, especially when cutting or when I have a very busy work schedule. Real food still rules though!

More from Guberntrix

What should I eat?

The low-fat myth

Why muscle building should be your top priority whoever you are

Too many goals?

Once again the issue of too many people wanting to use the only squat rack in the gym rears its head on an internet forum.

This old chestnut crops up time and again but I was inspired to write about it because it reveals an example of what I think is one of the great pleasures of strength training, one which often gets completely disregarded in high street gyms: working with others.

I don’t mean training buddies, but just being able to work together in an environment, help each other out, feed off each other’s energy – even if you are doing different workouts.

There’s a nice atmosphere of fellow feeling as you help each other change plates, shout out a bit of encouragement, maybe spot them on a heavy attempt. Instead of being in your own little bubble thinking nasty thoughts about everyone else, you start to care about how well someone else is doing. Their success often breeds your success, and vice versa.

I believe that everyone lifts better in that sort of environment.

Play nice with others

This collegial atmosphere is something I instill when I teach weight training courses like Ladies Who Lift. A big part of this course is learning how to work with others in the weight room. To take one example, if one of the group is significantly shorter or taller than the others, we change the rack height for every set, even though it might seem a bit of a faff. It’s fair to everyone and, as it turns out, not so much of a faff when you get used to doing it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when, deep down, I’m annoyed if I have to share. Sometimes you are in that ‘lone wolf’ kind of mood, or you have a hard workout to do and just want to get on with it.

But the reality is that there is never enough space when it is busy for everyone to have their own private car parking space, so you are wishing for something that isn’t going to happen. Anyway once you get into the swing of sharing your space and equipment, it ain’t so bad. You might even end up having a better workout!

Peace, man

That all sounds very peace and love but why should you care? Because hating other gym users and dealing with equipment conflicts is stressful and emotional stress is not conducive to good training. In fact, it is the last thing you want to be undergoing.

Let’s face it, just being in a commercial gym at peak time can be stressful, let alone having to navigate these issues of etiquette, all the while wishing your fellow gym users could be blasted into outer space with a massive rocket.

It is in your interests to be calm and friendly, so that all your energy is focussed on your workout and not composing withering forum posts in your head about the imbecility of the unfortunate in the squat rack that is rightfully yours.

Aggression can be helpful in training but psychologists differentiate between ‘channelled’ or ‘instrumental’ aggression, which is directed towards a goal, and hostile aggression. All too often we experience the latter in gyms and not the former. I’ve often seen people with a lot of apparent hostility try to muscle out their own space, only to then do their reps like a complete pussy!

More racks often means more lifters

You might think that more equipment is the answer, but in my experience the more and better equipment a gym has, the more it attracts lifters! My lifting club has around seven racks but at busy times we can still be three to a platform. The difference is that we all know each other and work together.

So what is the answer?

Well, one person can set a tone. You can be the one to start the trend. I know this is possible as I’ve done it myself. I didn’t stand there with a bottle of coke singing while looking at a sunrise, I just behaved in a certain way and people started to adapt to it.

A lot of people don’t share because they don’t know how to; that is, they don’t know what the options might be or how best to organise things. You might not realise how intimidating you look to other people. If you think you are the dog’s bollocks (because you want to squat when they are bicep curling), it’s up to you to take the lead, not up to the newbie who barely knows what they are doing.

So here are a few things you can do to make it better for everyone (including you):

• Invite someone to work in if it’s obvious they are waiting for you; don’t wait for them to ask.
• Be aware that a short ‘how many sets you got left?’ spoken to a stranger can sound aggressive and instantly poison the atmosphere; mind your Ps and Qs and try to smile!
• If there’s an equipment clash, discuss the problem in a friendly way (‘how about if we do this…?’), don’t just storm off giving a dirty look.
• Don’t compromise your workout just because someone bigger and nastier than you wants to dominate; you are both entitled to get your work in.
• If there’s an ongoing equipment clash with a regular, work out some sort of schedule between yourselves or train together.

It’s not always sunshine and light and there will sometimes be difficulties but you will get a much better workout if you can find a way to work with people rather than resent them.

More from gubernatrix

How to have an awesome time at the gym

Why you shouldn’t train in front of a mirror

Too many goals?

Femininity and muscle

Basic barbell programmes reviewed

Win a £50 voucher to spend at active wear retailer simplysweat.com. Find out how below.

When kit goes wrong

Ever had an embarrassing ‘wardrobe malfunction’ while at the gym? Or tried to shield your eyes because you’ve just seen one and it’s putting you off your workout? Here are my top gym wardrobe malfunctions and how to fix them!

Malfunction #1: Trousers splitting while squatting. Very difficult to hide, this one. The incident is usually accompanied by a loud tearing noise.

Fix: Wear lycra or something roomy. And make sure you have nice pants on.

Anti muffin-top device

Malfunction #2: Excessive cleavage on view. You have to watch this one, ladies. Everything might seem fine when you are standing up straight, but what about when you deadlift or do press ups?

Fix: Do the ‘bend over’ check when you buy sports bras and wear high necks. Unless you want to show the cleavage off, in which case don’t complain that guys stare at you.

Malfunction #3: Men wearing too short shorts.  Guys, running shorts are for running, not doing crunches. We can see everything! And it’s not pleasant.

Fix: Avoid very short running shorts, especially with a split up the side, if you are going to be lying on the gym floor doing core work.

Malfunction #4: Leaving sweaty marks on equipment. Leave that for the hardcore bodybuilding gyms, the rest of us don’t want to be lying in your sweat.

Fix: Wear something that covers your shoulders and back.

Malfunction #5: Barbell slides down back when squatting. This is due to the surface (skin or material) being slippery. This is scary and potentially dangerous – you don’t want to squat with a bar that is sliding down your back!

Fix: Wear a cotton t-shirt and/or cover your shoulders with chalk.

Malfunction #6: Unnecessary wearing of compression clothing. You look like a tit.

Fix: You don’t need to wear a compression top to do your bicep curls. Save it for the post-rugby game recovery.

Malfunction #7: Muffin top. When your love handles bulge out over the top of your trousers.

Fix: Avoid hipsters and wear longer tops. There’s no rule that says you have to wear crop tops in the gym. There are some nice long tank tops around that look pretty and cover up the bulgy bits.

Malfunction #8: Developing running sores on your shins from deadlifting.

Fix: Cover your legs. Wear long socks (e.g. football socks) or leggings. Tracksuit pants can also be worn but can snag or slow down the bar.

Malfunction #9: Training in jeans or any other casual trousers. This says ‘I don’t care about working out, I’m only here to do my arms’.  No-one will take you seriously.

Fix: Get some decent kit. Have a look at simplysweat.com.

Got any wardrobe malfunctions you would like to share?

Win £50 worth of kit!

The folks at simplysweat.com think you guys deserve some new gym gear so they have donated a £50 voucher to be won by a lucky gubernatrix.co.uk reader.

To be in with a chance of winning, just name one of the brands that simplysweat.com stocks. Click here to enter.

Closing date: midnight on 28 June 2011. One entry per email address. No purchase necessary. This competition is open to all as simplysweat.com ships worldwide. The delivery costs are included in the £50. Cheapest destinations are the UK, US or Canada. European countries and elsewhere vary but you can check at simplysweat.com. Your contact details will not be used for any purpose other than the administration of this competition, nor passed to any third party.

Kettlebells have exploded in popularity over the last few years – I think to the surprise of many who thought they would be a flash in the pan or a specialist tool used only by enthusiasts.

In fact, kettlebells are fun, they appeal to the home trainer market and are also popular with women who otherwise mightn’t use resistance training at all.

However, with this popularity has inevitably come a lot of ‘lazy’ training and teaching, and a plethora of instruction of varying levels of quality. I cringe when I see some of the stuff that goes on in gyms across the land, even with movements as simple as a two-handed swing.

So a good, comprehensive, quality DVD is always going to be a much-needed tool and this is what Practical Kettlebell Training represents.

This 2-disc DVD set features the UK’s Stephen Aish, who has been teaching kettlebells and holding masterclasses for many years (and isn’t it great to be promoting a UK trainer for a change?).

The DVD aims to be the complete package, so covers everything from the moment you first see a kettlebell to the key exercises like swing, snatch, squat, jerk, windmill and so on, to advanced training and competition techniques.

Specifically, the 2-disc DVD set covers:

• Warm ups and stretches
• Major kettlebell exercises (shown from side and front)
• Kettlebell workouts
• Kettlebell competition training
• Safety and handling tips
• Examples of advanced kettlebell training for MMA

I received a copy of this DVD after doing a course with Steve and was very impressed by it. The production values are not the flashiest, but the substance is there. Steve’s approach is quite technical and detailed, which I think is great for people who are home trainers or those who plan to teach others.

In fact, the vast majority of people I see in gyms using and teaching kettlebells should have a copy of this DVD! It’s clear that many people only have the vaguest idea of how to teach or execute these movements properly, particularly the clean and the snatch. Practical Kettlebell Training breaks these movements down and provides effective drills so that people can learn the movements without bashing the hell out of their forearms, ripping up their palms or risking injury because they can’t stabilise the kettlebell properly overhead.

A complete beginner with their first kettlebell could pick this DVD  up and begin to train effectively. A person with some experience who needs more detail on technique and advanced pointers would also benefit – especially if they are self taught or if they went on a course a while ago and can’t remember all the teaching points. And anyone who is teaching others will get a lot from the instruction points and advice on how to train groups.

So this DVD is really a great all-rounder and if you don’t have a decent source of kettlebell instruction, I recommend it.

Buy this DVD in the gubernatrix shop

One Christmas I walked into Genesis Gym in London, paid my fiver and was put through the toughest lifting session I’d ever experienced by Dave “Bulldog” Beattie, a world champion powerlifter. I learned more in those two hours than I had in the previous twelve months.

My friend Dan John suggests in his blog, “get out of the comfy confines of your local spa and go see what the best are doing.”

Hours spent under the bar are necessary, but we occasionally have to put our heads above the parapet and see what else is going on, lest we become complacent or comfortable.

This is especially important if you train in a ‘normal’ commerical gym. You’ll either be thinking you are the bees knees or you will just get sucked into the mediocrity, believing everything you read on the internet about ‘overtraining’, ’5/3/1′ and how you must never squat on consecutive days or you will die!

Getting out of the spa is also a welcome opportunity to meet and chat with like-minded people. You know, people who know what a front squat is.

But how do you go about this? Here are some ideas:

• Visit a specialist gym (e.g. powerlifting gym, weightlifting club)
• Watch a competition
• Compete in a local competition
• Do a course
• Interview someone you admire
• Watch a great athlete train
• Watch great sporting feats and world records on youtube
• Attend a workshop
• Go to a fitness expo

You will come back inspired and motivated!

Some of my inspiring experiences

What I’ve learned from strongman
Dan John seminar in Ireland
Ladies Who Lift
First powerlifting meet
World’s Strongest Man Experience

It has been crazy busy over here at gubernatrix HQ and I apologise for the lack of posts in April. Hopefully you were too busy enjoying the unseasonably warm weather to mind!

Anyway, let me bring you up to date with a couple of exciting projects. First up:

Ladies Who Lift: the 6-week beginners weight training course

Last call for adventurous ladies who want to get stronger! With a week to go, there is just one spot left on the Tuesday morning course and one on the Sunday course!

So if you have been thinking about it, now is the time to grab your place and get training with a great bunch of like-minded women.

Click here for more information and to book your place on this unique course, hosted by yours truly.

UK Strength and Power Series: discover your inner strongman/woman!

Now in its third year, the UK Strength and Power competition is bigger and better than ever. This competition is a fantastic entry into the compelling world of strongman and it is suitable for men and women.

I’ve done it two years in a row, and last year I was joined by five other awesome chicks. This year we hope to make the women’s classes even bigger and even more awesome. Need some encouragement? Read Jules’ story here. Jules is around 8 stone but was flippin’ the same tyres as the guys!

And men, you’ll need to get your skates on as this event sells out very quickly. If you’ve ever fancied hefting stones or pulling extremely large vehicles, this is the event for you!

Click here for more information on Facebook.

Strength athletes often underestimate or forget to take into account the importance of being ‘fit to train’. Healthy, recovered, injury-free and able to endure the training sessions – all of these things are prerequisites to improvements.

Some warning signs that you may need to improve your training fitness are:

• Your rest periods between sets are getting longer;
• You get tired quickly during the training session or need extra caffeine/stimulants to get you fired up;
• You have been doing heavy, near-max work for a while.

Improve training ‘fitness’ by spending a couple of weeks doing higher reps at 70 per cent of max. So for weightlifters that would be sets of 3-5, and for powerlifters sets of 5-8.

The best time to do this is just before you start a new strength cycle, on return from holiday or if you have been stagnating for a while.

Active rest is also under-utilised by strength athletes. Personally I use walking, circuit training or kettlebells. It makes you a fitter and more mobile human being, and this can help you tolerate more training and therefore get stronger. 10-15 minutes of high intensity circuit training will improve fitness and make you feel energised.

One of my favourites has always been Ross Enamait’s Magic 50. It has some of my favourite exercises in it and it kicks my butt! The Magic 50 is:

5 dumbbell snatches each hand
5 dumbbell swings each hand
10 burpees (with press up of course)
5 rounds for time

I also find that cleaning up my diet helps me to feel fitter and more dynamic. Often when you are going through a heavy phase of training it can be tempting to eat whatever is around; getting the calories in is important to support the training. However, in a ‘fitness’ phase you should be less hungry and tired and therefore this is the ideal time to sharpen up the eating strategy.

So how do you get fit to train?

More from gubernatrix

• Improve weaknesses with unilateral exercises
• How to: one arm dumbbell snatch
• Does lifting more always mean you get stronger?
• Five secrets of more effective training

If you don’t know much about Glenn Pendlay, rest assured that is going to change.

An olympic weightlifting coach for some twenty years, Pendlay has until now stayed largely within the weightlifting and strength sports world, referenced by the likes of Mark Rippetoe, with whom he has worked extensively (you may have noticed Pendlay credited in Rippetoe’s books).

But now with a snazzy, content-rich website at www.californiastrength.com, a new DVD published by On Target (the same folks who brought you Dan John’s Never Let Go DVD series), and even an interview on T-Nation, Glenn Pendlay is set to be everyone’s new favourite weightlifting guru!

I don’t mean to take the mickey, as this guy is the real deal. With the renewed interest in olympic weightlifting (due largely to the growth of Crossfit), it is fantastic to have a serious weightlifting coach putting good quality material out there in an accessible format.

And that is exactly what this two-disc DVD set represents. This is Glenn Pendlay’s method for teaching the snatch and the clean & jerk to complete beginners. You can use this DVD to learn the lifts yourself; you can also use it to teach others.

I have already used Pendlay’s method to teach people – both in a workshop setting and in a one-to-one setting – and I really like it. It is effective, it gets people doing the lifts quickly, and it drills good technique right from the beginning.

His progressions are simple (he focusses just on three key positions), systematic and easy to communicate. He is very clear about what needs to be corrected and how best to do this.

Like the Dan John DVDs, the presentation is a workshop delivered to a real audience. It’s possible to play along at home, and also useful from a coaching  point of view to see Glenn’s methods implemented with a variety of different body types and levels of skill.

‘Ideal’ technique is demonstrated by one of Pendlay’s star weightlifters, Jon North, who is the number one ranked 94kg lifter in the US.

Pendlay has a comfortable presentation style. He’s relaxed and clear; like his method, there is little that is extraneous or by-the-by. Pendlay mentions his credentials at the start of the workshop: he studied with Alexey Medvedev, Soviet national coach, in Moscow and started coaching soon afterwards in the early nineties. He has coached national champions in the US at all ages and currently has a crop of promising young elite weightlifters at his club, California Strength.

This is an excellent DVD for learning and teaching the olympic lifts. Glenn is making a visit to the UK soon and I am looking forward to learning more in person – and will of course share any insights with you.

You can buy the DVD from me here (the best option if you are in the UK) or from the US publisher here (makes more sense if you are in the US).

Dan John’s DVDs on Olympic Lifting for Beginners and Perfecting Your Kettlebell Form are also available in the gubernatrix shop.

More from gubernatrix

• What’s the difference between powerlifting, olympic weightlifting and strongman?
• Basic barbell programmes reviewed
• Coach Dan John answers your questions
• Show up, lift things
• Review of Dan John seminar in Ireland

Folks, a lot of people posted on this blog last year about Britain’s Strongest Man and how disappointed they were that it didn’t go ahead.

I don’t know if it will go ahead this year either, but there are other opportunities to see top class strongman and one of them is coming up in March 2011.

The Grand Prix Fitness Expo at Excel, London will be hosting Giants Live, the World’s Strongest Man qualifying tour over 19-20th March 2011. This means that the big beasts will be in London to qualify for WSM, including all the top Brits.

Some of the names confirmed are Derek Poundstone and Brian Shaw (2nd in WSM 2010) from the US, Terry Hollands, Mark Felix and Laurence ‘Big Loz’ Shahlaei from the UK, Norway’s Richard Skog and Iceland’s Stefan Solvi Petursson (4th at WSM 2010), who was a bit of a crowd favourite at the World’s Strongest Man Experience last May.

So if you want to see the best of British strongman, this is the event to head for!

Andy Bolton deadlift world record attempt

It’s not just strongman either, there are powerlifting and bodybuilding contests and a new world record deadlift attempt by the current holder, Andy Bolton.

As well as the obligatory MMA, BMX and skateboarding for those going through their mid-life crises (…only kidding, don’t hate me!)

Strongman-style training has become very popular recently, which is great to see. But if you’ve never seen real strongman in the flesh I highly recommend it. It’s like a live heavyweight boxing match – seeing it on the telly is just not the same and you don’t get the sense of just how huge, strong and powerful these guys are until you see them in front of you!

Check out the promo video and tell me it doesn’t look exciting!