I went for a max chin-up attempt the other day and got 11 good reps with the form I was aiming for. Going over 10 reps was a milestone for me as I was stuck on around 7 or 8 for ages! However, once I had broken through that particular plateau, progress was faster and […]

The muscle-up is one of the most challenging tests of strength for the amateur trainee. If you’ve mastered dips and pull-ups and you are looking for your next challenge, add the muscle-up to your arsenal.
If you want to learn this difficult move you will need some excellent guidance and Crossfit London’s Ring Training guide by […]

This is the fifth article in my series of Top 10 Functional Strength Exercises. The aim of this series is to introduce some of my favourite strength exercises, that people may not be aware of or may not have tried.
What is the dip?
The dip is an upper body strength exercise where you lower and raise […]

This is the second article in the series Getting into weight training: a female-friendly guide. A PDF version is also available to download for free: Getting into weight training: a female-friendly guide PDF

1. Why lift weights?
4. Exercise technique

2. Types of weight training
5. Training programmes

3. Starting out

6. Create your own programme

Most commercial gyms have a […]

You don’t have to be able to do muscle-ups and front levers to benefit from training with rings. They make even old favourites like push-ups and dips more challenging because you have to work to stabilise them. You’ll probably be surprised at how much more difficult an exercise can be on the rings – I […]

This is the third article in my series of Top 10 Functional Strength Exercises. The aim of this series is to introduce some of my favourite strength exercises, that people may not be aware of or may not have tried.
Many of these exercises are never featured in the mainstream fitness magazines or taught by the […]

I like going to the gym, but sometimes I wish I could have my own gym at home. A power rack in the basement, a pull-up bar in the lounge, maybe some gymnastic rings and a rope on the tree outside.
Except that I don’t have a basement. Or a garden, let alone a tree. I […]

Ten ways to be the toughest girl or guy in town:
1. Train outdoors in all weathers. Rain, wind, snow, hail. Train when other people just stay in bed.
2. Add a ‘finisher’ to your workouts. Train your socks off, until you are lying on the floor, literally unable to do anything more. […]

The girl in the video clip below has excellent pull-up form, doing full range of motion every time. I can’t always say the same for myself!
Pull-up clip
A popular method to train pull-ups is to use negative reps, i.e. you are only completing the negative portion of the exercise, the down phase. Use a chair […]

Watch the press-ups video clip on youtube!
The press-up is one of the most versatile exercises out there. A lot of people are put off them because they think they are boring or they associate them with army seargants shouting in your ear. But the simple press-up deserves another look.

Abs/core exercise
Press-ups are great for abs. […]