As I'm looking to develop my front and side quads rather than overall leg and glutes size, I've been squatting with my feet closer together while my heels are placed on 2.5kg plates. It really isolates the quads nicely - give it a try
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Today I took part in an interesting research study at Leeds Becketts University to measure body fat percentage/distribution, lean tissue and bone density in natural bodybuilders using a state-of-the-art DXA scanning machine (usually £200+ per scan). This involved me lying down while it X-rayed my body for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the machine stopped half way through and decided that it couldn't scan my whole body in a single pass due to my size and width. The operator said it's the first this has ever happened while he's operated the machine!!! Oooops! Embarrassment aside, below is a brief summary of the results and my conclusions:- BODY FAT Result Officially 15% but 11% by usual body fat measurement standards. This is because the scan takes into account below the skin (subcutaneous) as well as internal (visceral) fat stores. Conclusion I'm very happy to remain at this bf% in my off season as this is fairly lean. Also, goes to show when people say they're at 10% bf...they're probably quite a few percentage points higher. BONE DENSITY Result 0 is normal, 1 is very good, 2 is superb. Mine is 2.2 Conclusion Proof that years of heavy powerlifting and lifting heavy weights has strengthened and protected my bones and given me a much better chance of avoiding osteoporosis as I get older. The study also found that swimmers, cyclist, long distance runners and non-weight lifters have a much lower bone density. So I'd suggest all these groups begin lifting weights to protect their health for the future. SPINE Result My whole spine is in really good condition, with no compression of discs Conclusion Those who say lifting heavy, doing heavy deadlifts and squats are dangerous in my opinion are incorrect as I've done so for many years. Doing any of these lifts incorrectly IS dangerous (hence get a tutor) but if done right, will strengthen your core, improve your posture and overall strength. Due to my participation in this study I can get multiple free tests a year over the next 5 years. It'll be interesting to see how the numbers stack up when i'm contest ready. I'll be sure to post an update Sam  I heard someone recently say on social media "I overheard a personal trainer telling their client what bad form someone was using and didn't go over to help!". Well as a PT myself, I constantly see lots of gym goers using incorrect or dangerous form or simply not getting the best from the exercise they are performing.
This is frustrating but what exactly is the PT supposed to do? Constantly ignore their paying clients to correct every mistake they see in the gym and not end up training their own clients? I don't think this is a realistic proposition. Instead of blaming the PT I would suggest every inexperienced gym goer book some sessions with a knowledgeable PT to at least learn the basics of training to get the most from their workouts and stay safe. Sam  Great memories from my first contest - the NPA Yorkshire 2014. With a full house of 800 people in the audience, a great atmosphere and family and friends in attendance - here's me battling out with Adam Healey. I would so love to compete there again this year but i'm too busy trying to pack on size to get big, really big!! Though really looking forward to seeing who's gonna walk away with that overall title in 8 weeks
As I'm looking to improve my hamstrings and add more muscle density to my lower back I've decided to consistently perform deadlifts and split my leg training into quads/calf and lower back/hamstring days. This is my 4th week of deadlifts after a couple of months break, so I'm quite pleased with 240kgx10  
Very happy to win Best Newcomer for UK natural bodybuilding from NaturalMuscle.co.uk
Check out the link below for the other winners as well as great bodybuilding tips, articles and forums http://www.naturalmuscle.co.uk/articles/awards-2014/awards-2014.shtml Sam 
It's January, so we all know what this means.....choc-a-block gyms full of well intentioned, under-muscled, overfed bodies trying to improve their physique or fitness within a few weeks. The idea and intention should not be criticized (as a lot of people do) - just the execution. Most have no idea what they are doing in terms of exercising correctly or nutrition programming, have no plan how to achieve their goals and have unrealistic expectations of what those goals are. So I've put together 3 quick tips t to help:-
Avoid fad diets Juice Plus, Herbalife, anything that mentions toxins and cleansing that will cost you additional money to a simple well balanced diet. You can lose weight on ANY diet but doing it the correct way through exercise and nutrition will maximize your chances of that weight staying off permanently. Seek advice from a professional Preferably someone very experienced in building muscle and who understands nutrition well. A personal trainer who has competed in bodybuilding will know the ins and outs and guide you through this minefield. For example, did you know one of the best ways to torch fat is to build muscle? Did you know that just doing endless cardio is not the best way to burn fat? Don't expect a quick fix Be prepared to put in months of hard work if you want long term and sustainable results. Sam 
Here's a sneaky side chest pic 6 days before stepping on stage in Italy for the World Championships! I'm carb depleted so muscles are not as full as they could be but I'm happy with my size/conditioning and I'm ready to battle. Only 144 hours to go!!!! Sam
After winning both the Yorkshire and British NPA overall titles in my novice bodybuilding year, quite few people have asked what my next move is. Well, the next move is to get on a flight to Venice in 11 days to compete at the UIBBN World Championship in Italy, in only my 3rd competition. I'll fly out with the GB team with flights and accommodation costs generously covered by the NPA. What a helluva 6 months this has been! I first decided in February 2013 that I wanted to compete at some point in 2014 but I've got to be honest..........I didn't just want the opportunity to get onstage but to get onstage and win also. So I trained as hard and as smart as I could while staying laser-like with my focus to achieve my goals. I didn't expect to do as well as I did as well in such a short space of time - but here i am, dreams can come true! Wish me luck!!!!!! Below I've included some pictures to document my 22 month journey. For:- Online training/nutrition plans  February 2013 - the journey begins!  April 2014 - 5 weeks before my first comp, NPA Yorkshire  October 2014, Winning the British overall After a few sets of no less than 15 reps on the squat and the same again on the leg press it was time to up the ante and really put my quads to the test. So I supersetted with 3 sets of the hack squat with a narrow stance (to bring out my outer sweep development) immediately followed by dumbbell lunges (leaning forward to place more emphasis on quads rather than hips). Give it a go for an insane quad pump and to test your ability to handle pain! Click here - For online nutrition/exercise plans Sam  After my winning exploits at the British last weekend, I just needed to remind myself that I'm still a powerlifter also! So after a tough back session I decided to attempt my heaviest deadlift for 12 years just to see what I could do. To make it more of a challenge, I did it without a belt while carb depleted. Needless to say, I quite happy with the result and form. Sam   The Civic Hall, Bedworth Tomorrow I'll be stepping on this stage in front of 700 people to compete at the NPA British Finals. Since winning the Yorkshire overall title 6 months ago in my novice competition I've challenged myself to improve in all aspect of this bodybuilding pursuit. My physique, size and performance will hopefully showcase the hard work that I've put in to realise these goals.
I'd like to take to take the opportunity to thank everyone for the support I've received from friends, family, gym-goers and my personal training clients. With an especially a big shout out for all those making the trek to see me perform. Win, lose or draw - I'm going to savour the day and enjoy the experience but if things go really well hopefully I can add a national bodybuilding title to my 11 powerlifting UK titles to make it a round dozen! I'll post results/updates tomorrow as soon as I can - wish me luck peeps!! Sam BLOG: Venue Details  It's this Sunday! Quite a few family, friends, gym members and personal training clients will be making the trek to Bedworth to see me compete. Travelling from as far as London and Bristol, all the support is appreciated!! The show starts at 5pm and will include top male and female competitors strutting their stuff on stage - it will be fun.
I'm no stranger to competing nationally and internationally having won 11 British Powerlifting titles but this is only my second bodybuilding competition but I would love to win another British title here to make it 12 in total. Sam  After 2 1/2 months of strict dieting on low calories and low carbohydrates I've got 20 hours before I begin my carbohydrate reloading feast!!!! This can't come soon enough, considering the only carbs I'm consuming today is a small 50g bowl of oats. My big dilemma is whether to break the fast with the Poptarts or toffee popcorn - decisions, decisions.
I'm very happy with my current weight and condition as I'm lighter than at any point leading up to the Yorkshire competition but carrying more muscle. That can only mean one thing - my body fat % is lower. So it looks like the hard work, discipline and sacrifices may pay off. p.s. the next time I do a carb reload shop it'll be on the day of the actual load. These delicious goodies are sitting there tempting me but I can't touch. Amateur!!!! :-( Sam With just 7 days to go before competing in the NPA British BodyBuilding Finals, I decided to increase my workload to burn the miniscule bits of fat that remain on my body! Hill sprinting is a fabulous way to to do this as well as toning the hamstring and glutes, improving lung capacity and cardiovascular fitness. Just ensure you're sufficiently warmed-up - a light 5-10 minute jog, followed by bodyweight squats and lunges and 2-3 medium paced hill sprints - then you're good to go! Following my chest and biceps workout I did eight 30 second all-out hill sprints with a couple minutes recovery. I then went for a 40 minute bike ride down the canal to complete my 3 hour workout. Sam   After my tough leg session yesterday I needed to do cardio after my shoulder and triceps workout today but just didn't fancy a 40 minute walk, jog or cycle on the gym equipment for a couple of reasons:-
a) I find it quite boring to do endless cardio indoors - most of my cardio has been outdoors, bike rides, long walks and jogging but unfortunately the weather has turned recently b) my legs and glutes are in the process of recovery after doing a 2 hour leg workout yesterday and I need to give them them time to fully recover - so I didn't fancy doing any endurance activities using these muscles The solution?..................High Intensity Interval Training using battle ropes and a 20kg slam ball that uses mainly upper body and core muscles to raise the heart rate quickly, followed by a rest interval, then repeat. I did 20 seconds all out effort on both rope variants, then 15 maximum effort ball slams, followed by 80 seconds rest - repeated 8 times. I estimated that I burned 300 calories in approximately 20 minutes, about the same as a 40 minute walk on the treadmill. Try it for a bit of time saving, added spice and variety to your cardio workouts! Sam With just 11 days before I compete in my second bodybuilding contest - the NPA British Finals (yikes!), I'm very happy with both my muscularity and conditioning. I've worked very hard on my weak points and that included a lack of definition in my quads. Therefore, today was my second 2 hour leg workout in 4 days (I don't advocate this for everyone but my body and immune system can handle this). So the workout went like this.......... HAMSTRINGS Seated Leg Curl (4 sets, 15 reps) nice slow tempo, fully contracting hamstring especially at the end of range Prone Leg Curl (4 sets, 12 reps, last one being a drop set) Stiff-legged Deadlift on shrug machine - (4 sets of 13) nice deep stretch, pausing at bottom of lift to force the hamstrings to work harder QUADS Leg Press - 45 degree (4 sets, 20 reps - 10 wide stance, 10 close stance) these are a killer but has really helped with my quad outer-sweep development Barbell Squat (Pyramiding up 200kg x 13) the is the heaviest weight I've squatted for this prep, the weight felt light - so I thought "why not?" Hack Squat (4 sets, 12 reps) pause at bottom to reduce any momentum to work quads harder Barbell Lunges (2 sets, 24 steps with 60kg) leaning torso slightly more forward than usual to place more emphasis on quads rather than glutes Leg Extension (5 sets, 15 reps - last being a dropset) ....followed by some 3 different glute exercise. This is my last heavy leg session before the British, I'll do a light session next week. Feeling very good and can't wait to get onto that stage in 11 days! Sam   Shot from Yorkshire's in May 2014 With barely 3 weeks until the British NPA finals, I've worked super hard on every aspect of my preparation to improve on my debut overall winning performance at the Yorkshire's 4 months ago. No resting on laurels here!
I've made major changes with my resistance/cardio training, nutrition as well as stage presentation to help me step up a few of levels and to improve on the picture you see here. Resistance training I've trained like a beast over the last few months, training up to 3 hours a day/6 days a week to improve on my weak points Cardio training I've included a balanced mixed between steady state and high intensity interval training to burn the fat Nutrition I've kept my calories and carbs much higher on this prep to keep my metabolism fired up as well as giving me more energy to train Posing I felt that I didn't do myself justice with the way I performed a number of poses, so I've been working hard to correct this These changes seemed to have worked and I'm ready to hit that stage again! Not long now........ Sam  It's reassuring to know that my body fat percentage is only 32% four weeks from the British Finals - as my bathroom scale showed this morning!!
There's a reason why I don't recommend my clients use these as an accurate body fat measurement - because they're not accurate. A set of body fat calipers in experienced hands will give a much better result. Well I'm off to do my daily 7 hours of cardio to get it down from 32% to sub-10%!!! Sam |
AuthorSam Watt - Champion personal trainer and nutrition advisor Archives
January 2020
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