1. I started drinking when I was 14 and stopped when I hit 20

I had my first beer when I was 14 at a friends oldest brothers birthday. Got absolutely slaughted(drunk for the non British readers) and ended up nearly getting run over and throwing up with my friends. Fast forward to when I was 20, New Years Eve, my resolution that year was to stop drinking so I did to stop using it as crutch during social situations. This lasted until my 24th birthday where I got completely trashed(another euphemism for drunk for you non British folk) had loads of fun. I drink only on the most special of occasions and never in social situations in bars/nightclubs if I ever do go to such places.

2. I was on a documentary about alternative dating in London with 4 other guys

It was filmed in London over three days with a quick interview about my dating background and then was two 8 hour days of being taught by one of the most leading dating companies in the world how to meet women. Interesting experience that I’ll never forget but due to me not drinking for so long I was already semi-used to doing what they suggested and barely appear in the documentary!

3. I was 5ft3 until I was around 15

Yep until I was 15 I was 5ft3…(I’m 5ft11 now) at which point I had a huge growth spurt over summer…boy were the other kids at school surprised when I came back

4. I was & still am a huge tech nerd

Although I studied sport science at university and now have a specialisation in exercise based management of lower back pain, I originally studied computer science for one year and decided to switch to follow my passion. I had my first computer when I was 11, saw a film called hackers when I was 13 and just learned everything I could about computers for the next 5 years.

5. I let (almost) anyone stay with me.

If you practice parkour/freerunning or know people that do and need some where to stay, I always have my couch there for you to crash on. It’s very common in the parkour community and is somewhat like couch surfing except you share a common bond. You can train together, talk about parkour, share stories of friends you know etc. It’s always a pleasure to meet others than train especially if they’re travelling from abroad. So if you need some place to stay while in London, I’m here.

6. I’ve had more injuries than I can attest

Name a joint, I’ve had an injury there. Luckily though I’ve rehabed myself back to being completely pain free and the only aches and pains I experience are a product of muscle fatigue during training.

7. I wore the same watch for 5 years.

This was my first digital watch. It was resilient, water, proof and never failed me. I’ve worn it so much that I have a permanent tan line where it used to sit. This year it was retired and upgraded as a present from my girlfriend. I can’t lie I do miss it but my new watch has newer features and is a wonderful gift.

8. I nearly died from drinking milk (WARNING: This one is a bit graphic)

Back in 2010 I was living with two other parkour instructors from Parkour Generations in our Parkour house that we rented for ridiculously cheap. I typically drank 1 1/2 pints of generic milk from any typical supermarket throughout the day with no adverse effect. In an effort to get more easily consumable calories in throughout the day I decided to have 2 pints of milk on top of every meal. After the first day my digestion was effected and I would constantly need to rush to the bathroom every couple of hours to sit down on the toilet and do my business. After the second day I came horribly sick, I was sweating profusely but was always cold and shivering. When I went to the bathroom and say down on the toilet I was bleeding from my anus. I had damaged my intestinal tract my drinking that much milk. I was rushed to hospital where I began to bleed even more until I was losing so much blood I needed a transfusion and to monitored.

I recovered…as I always do…and now can have only 1/4 of a pint of milk per day maximum otherwise I start bleeding again unless it is lactose free milk or completely raw.

9. I’ve been playing the guitar for 14 years now

I love rock music especially the classics to the point where I wanted to play the drums. I couldn’t get drums because it being to noisy for my family home so instead I picked up the electric guitar. 80s hair metal is what I play best and I love to shred BUT I’m severely out of practice and when I play it’s not as smooth as what is once was.

10. 95% of the time read non-fiction

For a list of books I’ve read and love head over to this link here on Pinterest – My Recommended Reading. I love learning new things and this list is a bunch of the books I’ve read over the years and have found really beneficial so perhaps they can help you too! You can always grab the audio book version if you’re not a hard copy kind of person like me.

Thats all for part 1 now. Part 2 will feature the next 10

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Although it is true you can function on little to no sleep the truth is that you’re setting yourself up for disaster long term.

A consistent good nights sleep provides you with:

• A Longer Lifespan
• A Healthy Heart
• Reduced Stress Levels
• Reduction in Chronic Inflammation
• Higher Energy Levels
• Increased Memory Function & IQ
• Reduced Risk of Depression
• Tissue Restoration
• Reduction In Body Fat
• Boost In Immune Function

So how much sleep do you need each night?

So clearly sleep is really important so how much do you need each night? Well if you’re 17 and under you will require 8-12 hours and the younger you are the more you’ll need. However if you are 18 and older 6.5-8.5 hours is ideal but actually getting that much sleep can be easier said than done for some. Here’s a list of steps to take to guarentee you’ll get the perfect nights sleep.

1. No Electronics 30 Minutes Before Bed

The bright lights from electronic devices can interfere with the body’s hormonal function and prevent you from feeling tired and being able to sleep.

Completely switching off your phone will also help you reach deeper levels of sleep as the electromagnetic radiation emitted from such devices can interfere with brain wave function.

Instead use natural light from candles or a fireplace instead.

2. Download F.Lux for your computer.

This app will shift the temperature of the colour of your screen to match the day and night cycles of your geographic location. That way when it’s dark outside and you look at your computer screen you wont be looking at a screen that is simulating the sun.

3. Always Sleep At The Same Time

Waking and sleeping at the same time everyday will guarantee you will get the right amount of quality sleep everyday. This can be tricky due to the amount of other obligations we have but if you can stick to the same cycle your quality of sleep will increase.

If you have trouble sticking to the same sleep schedule make sure you always wake up at the same time everyday. Even if you have a late night, wake up at the same time and this will naturally regulate what time you go to sleep.

4. Turn Your Room Into A (welcoming) Cave

If you create the right environment shutting off when it’s time to sleep will be all that more easy. There should be no light in your room while you’re sleeping. Turn off all lights, close the blinds/curtains. If light is still able to seep through your window invest in some curtains that completely block it out.

After sorting out light you need to sort out sound. If you live in a busy area with lots of cars driving past or your family/dog/hamster/dragon is keeping you awake invest in some earplugs. When you get used to them you’ll find that drifting off will be that bit easier.

Next up make sure you’re bed is clean and your mattress its comfortable for you. If you spend a great deal of time with your back in extension, because you stand a lot during the day or you’re an athlete, a softer mattress may be better for you. If you spend a great deal of time sitting or you have rounded posture then a harder mattress is likely to be better for you.

5. Speaking Of A Harder Mattress

If you have trouble getting to sleep while you’re in bed try switching ends or even bringing your duvet onto the floor and sleeping there. The the shift in location can help you shut off faster

6. Only Use Your Bed For Sleep And Sex

I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past but if you only use your bed for sleep or sex then you will find it easier to get to sleep faster…and have sex…well perhaps not the sex aspect there is a bit more to it than that. You will help train yourself to become accustomed to only sleeping or having sex in your bed so as a result when it comes to shutting off for the day you’ll find it all that much easier.

7. Eat Better

Hard to create a title for this aspect but our diet effects everything in our life. EVERYTHING…and that includes our sleep. Make sure that upon waking you drink a glass of water and get breakfast in as fast as possible. Eat consistently throughout the day making sure not to spike your insulin levels with high glycemic index food. Think about avoiding sugars and gluten. That way you can stave of post meal drowsiness but still eat to your hearts content.

This can also be leveraged at the potential cost of your absorption and digestion of the food by having a high glycemic index dinner and then go to bed immediately. Purposefully inducing that drowsy feeling can help you get to sleep.

As well as this there are certain dietary supplements that have been scientifically documented to improve the quality of sleep. The supplements are:

• Valerian – Helps you get to sleep fasting
• 5-HTP – Improves the quality of each sleep cycle
• Melatonin – Regulates the normal sleep wake cycle
• Magnesium – Increases the rate of deep sleep and minimises nocturnal awakenings
• Theanine – Found in green tea releases calming neutransmitters promoting relaxation

8. Get Your Sun Salutation on

In the morning right after breakfast go outside and get some sun. If this simply isn’t possible for you artificial sun lamps can provide the same effect. Not only will this boot your mood, increase natural production of Vitamin D (which unless you live by the equator you simply don’t enough of)  but this will help you feel more alert and full of energy in the mornings which in contrast will make you feel more tired and ready to hit the hay at night.

9. Have A Ritual

Now my girlfriend was the first person to introduce me to the idea of having a ritual and a “Wind Down Period” before bed. She uses it to help her get to sleep faster as she understands helps her shut off. You can do the same. Once you understand what helps/stops you from switching off at night you can create your very own ritual to help you.

If you’re finding this article interesting/helpful don’t forget to like it on FaceBook and Tweet about it.

Or perhaps you know someone that just can’t seem to sleep well and think they should give these tips a try…share it with them!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below.

All the best,

James

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Conveying the benefits to people that do not practice whose perception of the discpline is merely doing stunts and jumping off roofs to show off has often been tricky.

This stereotype has been perpetuated through YouTube, films and adverts alike but could not be farther from the truth. Training is more about self development, overcoming fear through developing a high technical skill level of each movement and gradually progressing outside your comfort zone.

It is not uncommon to repeat the same jump 100-1000 times WELL before progressing to something similar at height and that’s just for that one jump. There are endless possibilities found in our environment and the movement vocabulary for the discipline is vast.

One huge element from training Parkour/ Freerunning is learning how to land correctly to make sure the impact is absorbed in the muscles and not through the joints such as the knees and spine. When performed correctly a minimal amount of force is absorbed into the supporting structures of the body meaning there is no structural damage.

A silent landing is a perfect example of this.

Comparatively in other physical disciplines where jumping and landing are used the technique is different and actually does not allow for the impact to be absorbed in the muscles as well thus causing structural damage.

Some examples are CrossFit and Gymnastics.

This differing approach from Parkour / Freerunning does not allow for longevity of practice, a crucial aspect to Parkour / Freerunning , as gradual wear and tear on the joints and connective tissues will forcibly stop a practitioner of gymnastics and alike.

Here is a link to the study which shows impact forces from Parkour / Freerunning landings are minimal compared to conventional techniques.

So practice Parkour, learn how to land safely and apply it to everything else you can do in life…

Train Smart,

All the best,

James

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These posts are personal updates on my current training progress, any insights I may have gained recently to help aid those in their own training and a general record so I can look back and see how far I’ve come.

It’s been a while since I’ve updated StrongerFitterYou and I’ve been training hard where I can.

Most of my time is currently spent working (50-60 hours a week) on the multiple projects I have going on but from time to time I’m still sneaking in a strength training session here and there.

Recently I made massive progress on one exercise in particular which was the ring muscle up.

This exercise develops great upper body strength and has brilliant carry over to parkour / freerunning as it increases your ability to pull yourself up and over obstacles you may encounter.

Earlier this year I was only able to achieve 3-4 repetitions in a row and 2 months later now I can do 10!

Check out this video below of me getting the new personal best!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHlQz4T2rlc

My next goal is to achieve 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

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I answer all these questions personally but one thing remains constant and it is a routine of exercises I suggest that are not detailed in the guide. I used this routine to help me cover and have shared it with others who have experienced results instantly. That’s right pain relieve instantaneously.

The Rendzler Series

If you are still experiencing lower back pain and symptoms of sciatica such as shooting or dull aches and pains from the lower back towards the feet then these exercises are a must. They’re named the Rendzler Series after the physical therapist I saw who outlined the routine to me.

You will need a tennis ball or lacrosse ball. Tennis balls tend to break after a few uses and lacrosse balls are sturdy and can provide more pressure.

Using a ball of your choosing perform the following for 3 minutes per area per side:

Gluteals (buttocks/bottom/bum/arse/ass) – 12 minutes total time

• Standing facing away from a wall place the ball between your gluteals and wall on the side you experience the pain
• Lightly press your gluteals into the wall and move up, down, left, right & in all directions massaging the muscle
• Focus on areas where there is the most discomfort but cover the whole muscle.
• If all areas feel equally uncomfortable push slightly harder
• Repeat on the other side
• Avoid any bony protrusions
• Repeat with the ankle on the opposite leg

Lower Back – 6 minutes total time

• Standing facing away from a wall place the ball between your lower back and the wall on the side you experience the pain
• Avoiding any hip bones and spine as much as possible lightly press your lower back into the wall
• Move in all directions massaging the muscles in the lower back
• Focus on areas where there is the most discomfort but massage completely from the middle back to the top of the hips
• If all areas feel equally uncomfortable press slightly harder
• Repeat on the other side

Hamstrings (back of the legs) – 6 minutes total time

• Sit on a flat surface where the legs can hang such as a table
• Place the ball between the table and the back of your leg at the upper most point
• Move in all directions massaging the muscles in the hamstrings mainly focusing on the top of the leg
• Focus on areas where there is the most discomfort
• Repeat on the other side

What are you doing in the Rendzler Series?

You are using a technique called self myofascial release which has an endless list of benefits but has been demonstrated to be extremely beneficial for pain management with lumbar disc injuries and sciatica.

Do you have 25 minutes a day as that’s the maximum amount of time the Rendzler Series takes?

If not, wake up 25 minutes earlier and use this technique if you are experiencing these pains!

Do you know someone who could benefit from The Rendzler Series? E-mail, Facebook and share it with them and change their life today!

I hope this was helpful for you as it was me. Soon an in depth no holds barred eBook will be released for followers of the newsletter on EXACTLY how to recover from sciatica and lumbar disc injuries.

Subscribe to the newsletter to be alerted the eBook’s release and exclusive content only shared on the newsletter!

All the best,

James

Related Posts:

• AMA — Can I Still Lift Weights With A Herniated Disc?
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 3) – Strength Exercises
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 2) — Increasing Mobility
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 1) — Reducing Chronic Pain

Todays post is about another favourite piece of equipment I have and something I honestly think everyone that lifts any kind of weights should already own. Whether they lift weights at home already, a commercial gym or garage gym. It doesn’t matter it’s time you took the plunge and picked up your own Olympic Barbell. Here’s why I love mine so much

1. I can weight lift whenever I want. This means first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I’m a busy guy so don’t always have the time to travel to a gym so this simply means I can get my training in.

2. You will have it for life. In a previous post on what to look for in a gym I did some math regaurding the initial cost of buying one compared to 12 months of training at a commercial gym and how you would save twice as much money just after the first year if you bought a barbell and trained at home instead of a gym…and this was ignoring the gym joining and leaving fee.

3. The majority of whatever type of training you need to do can be done with an olympic barbell. I’m talking 90% of you training if not 100% can be done with an olympic barbell no matter what goal you have. Want to improve conditioning and lose body fat? Barbell Complexes! Want to increase your absolute strength and lift as much as you can? Powerlifting! Want to simply look better and pack on some muscle? Traditional bodybuilding! In fact all training programs no matter what the goal is typically start with olympic barbell work.

4. It will force you to work on what is actually effective. Squats, Deadlifts, Benching, Rowing, and Pressing. These cover all your bases and are the foundation everyone should be focusing on to begin with and can all be done with an Olympic Barbell.

5. You can use the weights for other exercises. I have a pull up bar at home and typically use the weights from the Olympic Barbell in a rucksack for increased resistance. Also you can buy two Olympic dumbells which means you don’t have shell out a bunch of cash if you want to get a dumbell set you can simply use the weights that came with you Barbell.

6. Potential for Olympic lfting for the explosive athlete. If you goal is to work on fast twitch muscle fibres and explosiveness Olympic lifting will mean you’ll be able to track progress with quantifable results based on how much weight you’re lifting. It is high skilled and will require some technique practice but if youre serious about developing explosive strength it’s always an option.

7. If you do want to sell it, the value doesn’t depreciate too much as an olympic barbell’s value is based on it’s weight not how old it is. Trust me though after you pick one up you wont want to get rid of it unless you decide to stop working out forever.

8. The barbell can also be used as a myofascial release torture device tool. I actually use it on my triceps before front squatting to improve the rack position and my calves. It could also be used to roll on your quads if you’d like or however creative you can get with it.

When I first bought my Olympic Barbell I didn’t have a squat rack and to be honest if you’re just starting out it’s not neccessary. You’ll be able to do all exercises (including back/front squats) as you should be starting with an empty bar but if you’re experienced a squat rack and possibly even a bench will be needed. It is a big initial investment but it’s one for life that will repay you faster than you will ever realise.

Related Posts:

• Why You Should Keep A Training Log
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 5 Resistances Bands
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 4 Gymnastic Rings
• How To Make The Most Of Rest Periods
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 1 Foam Roller

In this volume I take a look at resistance bands and show just how versatile they are as a tool

1. warm up and activate the stabalisers with minimal fatigue
It’s really easy to use resistance bands to warm up the stabaliser muscles neccessary to perform certain core exercises. For example to warm up for any type of Planhe progression exercise you can simulate the same arm movement use during the exercise but also the infraspinitus which is crucial in maintaining shoulder and scapular positioning during the movement

2. Band Disctracted mobility work
By using the resistance bands during stretches one is able to improve the movement mechanics of the joint being mobilised by improving the way it roll, slides and glides. This is especially useful for those that may have impingements as they’ll experience new range of motion they dont typically and build strength in this new range. Also for those that already stretch and are working on their mobility by using band distraction the effectiveness of the exercise is increased meaning faster results and more time saved.

3. Portable
Along with my lacrosse ball, I carry a resistance band with me everywhere I go to make sure I always warm up in the most highest quality way possible based on any enviroment. As they’re so portable I’m able too guarentee what type of warm I do and points I can work on be it in a new gym I’m working or training at or outside for myself or one of my clients.

4. Occuslion Therapy
Not only can resistance bands be used for mobility work they can also be used for highly effective recovery work and pain reduction. Occulsion therapy in a nutshell limits the amount of blood flow to a specific part of the body until there is a limted amount of blood supply to the area and then “flushes” blood to the area increasing circulation and the flow of essential nutrients for very long duration. An example would be someone suffering from tennis elbow (epicondilitis) with the a resistance band simply wrap the elbow joint like a bandage at roughly 80-90% tension. When there is discolouration in the distal limb in this case hand and forarm turn pale simply release the band. There will be a signifcant amount of reduced pain. This is a nice alternative to ice if unavailiable and nsaids.

5. Increased leverage during many exercises
Resistance bands can also be used to decrease the load on the muscles during cetrain exercises in a similar fashion a training partner could. Returning to our planche progression example one could strap the resistance band around a pull up bar and waist so their body weight is supported. By doing this you could work on having high quality form for the full progression while still loading the muscles.

6. The bands can add increased resistace to exercises you’re already doing. By attaching them to yourself or the barbell the load will slighlt increase during the exercise making it progressively harder. This is great for developing speed and power or alternative working on part of an exercise that is particularly difficult, for example the lock out. An example would be attaching resistance bands to a barbell during a bench press. The increased resistance will begin as theres more and more tension in the band i.e at the end of the movement.

One word of caution, make sure you buy good quality bands that will last. I’ve used one tied to a scaffold sturcture in the parkour park here in London and the band snapped and shot right into my groin (self nutshot). I was down and out for a good five minutes before I had to teach a parkour class that day. There are a few brands out there such as EliteFTS, MobilityWod but I would recommend using the Jump Stretch set of bands as they come in a nice set if you buy them together and are the cheapest by comparison. If you can’t get the set I recommend buying the green band first.

Related Posts:

• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 6 Olympic Barbell + Squat Rack
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 1 Foam Roller
• AMA — How Long Did It Take You To Train Again?
• Why You Should Keep A Training Log
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 4 Gymnastic Rings

Question:

Hi James,

Really good to discover your site as I’m going through the throws of healing my slipped disc. I’ve had it for about 5months now and only recently got MRI to show exactly what was causing my pain.

I used to train Parkour lots 3-4 years ago and trained with Forrest on several occasions. Tim Shieff too when I was at uni in nottingham. I actually want to get back into Parkour before this happened and right now I’m 1/10th the person I was before.

No less than 4-5months ago I was literally in the best shape of my life and now I’m in the worst.

Seeing your guide and video has given me clarity and shown me what’s possible.

How long did it take you to get back to a point of being able to train and do Parkour again?

Thanks, Ahmad.

 Answer:

http://youtu.be/Srz2ChUVqfk

Related Posts:

• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 6 Olympic Barbell + Squat Rack
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 5 Resistances Bands
• Why You Should Keep A Training Log
• AMA — Can I Still Lift Weights With A Herniated Disc?
• How To Make The Most Of Rest Periods

Though I have been training for what seems on paper quite a long time, it feels as though it was only a few years ago I started my journey.

I began logging my progress 3 years into my training when I started weightlifting for the very first time. I had never considered keeping a record of my training until then and I’ve found it extremely beneficial and still do to this date.

Following a plan and tracking progress

Keeping a log usually means you’re following some kind of training program and tracking your progress. If you aren’t and what you’re doing is random I suggest you take a more structured approach, although random can be useful and going off the beaten path can be refreshing, or you should expect random results.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t be flexible, but you should have goals and understand how to reach them. By tracking your progress you’ll be able to see how far you have come which can provide motivation when looking back through your records. Some times we forget how far we have come and lose perspective, tending to look to the future at what we were aiming for achieving. Some reflection periodically can keep us grounded and help us along our path.

I have a very strong memory of discovering one of my old training logs and reading what I had accomplished even to my own surprise.

This tracking could be how fast you ran a particular distance, what weights you lifted that week or how much you weigh that month with a measure of your body fat percentage. It’s up to you. By keeping a record of all your training it’s very easy to analyse what is working and what isn’t. This means you can constantly fine tune and improve on what you’re doing periodically.

That being said don’t fall into the trap of constantly changing your training program otherwise you wont adapt and improve, give it at least 2-3 months before changing some superficial elements and provided the program is designed well at least give it 6 months to 2 years before jumping ship.

So what should your training log have?

I start of by laying out the path I need to travel in order to achieve my goals and first and foremost that starts with goal setting. I start by writing in the back of my log book the goals I want to achieve but make sure they’re measurable, so for example instead of writing I want to be stronger, I think to myself what would it mean for me to be stronger.

How would I know I had become stronger? Then I change the goal accordingly, so in this case it would be I wish to have a double bodyweight back squat.

It’s not only enough to simply write out arbitrary goals though. I find I have the best results when I define exactly why I want to achieve those goals and what it means to me to do so and write next to each goal why.

If I can’t find a valid reason I remove that goal as it serves no purpose and allows me to not waste time training something that has no benefit to me.

After this, I write down a benchmark of how close I am to achieving those goals now. For example if someone wished to loose weight, they should record how much they weight and their percentage body fat with today’s date. Again without standardising how far you have progressed you wont be able to analyse what works for you and what doesn’t.

Then I simply write out what are the best methods or exercises for me to personally achieve each individual goal and list every progression I should follow in order to achieve that goal.

An example is if someone wished to be able to perform a free standing handstand and they were currently able to hold a 10 second handstand against the wall, they would write out how long they should be able to hold a handstand for against a wall before they progress and what supplementary exercises will help them hold a handstand on the floor freestanding such as hand stand push ups etc.

On top of this any considerations with regards to injury prevention, rehabilitation and muscle imbalances should be then listed too based on past and current injuries and limitations. Here one must also consider how these may be effected by the methods we are going to use to achieve our goals.

After all this a day by day program is written covering absolutely everything thus removing as much future mental energy as possible, allowing you to simply follow the program and mentally focus on each individual exercise at the time (form, tempo, breathing etc.) providing the greatest possible platform for performance.

A small note: Do not go overboard with what you’re doing.

Be minimal and only use what is going to be most effective first and then progress downwards from there. If something isn’t working simply cut the least effective exercise and stick with the rest. This requires experience but once you’re used to keeping a log and have been training for a while you will be able to easily recognise when to do this.

In the front of the training log on the inside page of the cover I write one or two quotes that greatly move me and inspire me to work hard and achieve my goals. They can be anything and will usually be quite personal but can serve you when you’re feeling lacklustre and need that extra kick. I forget about mine and rarely check but when I do I simply think to myself “oh yeah” and stay on track.

From here I simply write the date at the top of the page and log down whatever I need to log down for that day. I also record my weight and body fat percentage every three months although I have no goal to lose or gain weight but to simply keep an eye on them to see if anything is askew and not quite as it should be.

I also log down days I don’t train anything specifically and write what I spend my time doing or how I’m feeling mentally and physically. I do note down any myofascial release or prehab work I have to do every day here though also.

Overkill

As you can tell I can sometimes be quite meticulous when it comes to planning as I believe that putting yourself on the best path to success will allow you to reach succinctly due to efficiency and effectiveness of the program that’s been constructed. That being said, it is possible to go overboard and not get any actual work done often referred to paralysis by analysis.

It may seem like you’re being productive but in actual fact if nothing concrete has planned then you’ve most likely wasted your time and spent it thinking you’ve been working. This is why it’s best once you’ve written your program to follow it exactly and not even think about changing it for months unless injuries arise.

I have been guilty of this myself and have even written out and hour by hour plan of my week, which can be highly effective when you’re extremely busy and need to maximise the most of your time but is an example of something that simply isn’t necessary most of the time.

Lastly, the most important things to remember when keeping a training log is to…well…train and log your progress!

Don’t forget to bring it with you whenever or wherever you train.

Related Posts:

• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 6 Olympic Barbell + Squat Rack
• How To Make The Most Of Rest Periods
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 5 Resistances Bands
• AMA — How Long Did It Take You To Train Again?
• Essential Exercise Tools Vol 4 Gymnastic Rings

Question 1:

Hey James,

Thanks for making your herniated disc videos and articles on your site. They’ve helped me so much and I have been following them closely and have seen great results. I have herniation in my L4-L5 discs like you from body building but every time I go back to the gym I hurt myself and my back hurts again.

I herniated my discs from body building doing deadlifts in the gym 3 months ago and when I do deadlifts again my back hurts and I feel the same pains from when I first hurt my back. I want to body build still and don’t want to lose any more muscle.

Can I still lift weights with this disc pain and will I ever dead lift again?

Thank you for the help,

Marko

Answer:

http://youtu.be/SLKFU8YZP2I

Related Posts:

• You MUST Perform The Rendzler Series For Your Sciatica & Herniated Disc!
• AMA — How Long Did It Take You To Train Again?
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 3) – Strength Exercises
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 2) — Increasing Mobility
• How To Heal a Herniated Disc Guide (Part 1) — Reducing Chronic Pain