JB

I think the done thing in these circs is to draw a dustbin and a defender. sorry JB - great minds and fools think alike. N.B. I'm a fool, so you need to be a great mind. Bah. I bet you've done Jas as well haven't you? Stars Ryan Gosling as a young Australian soap star working his way up to becoming the voice of Boj's dad on Cbeebies, chronicling his drug hell. Memorable quote "You're going to need a bigger bong".

Argo - dramatisation of the making of a fictional movie during the Iranian hostage crisis. Directed by the Coen brothers.

So predictable it wasn't even withy predicting. Grow some **** balls, Villa!

Watched The Babadook last night. It wasn't quite what I was expecting and I wouldn't really class it as a horror/scary film but I thought it was fantastic.

He's driving from Birmingham to London isn't he?! Glad it wasn't just me then... I've heard that it's quite highly regarded. Wanted to love it. Didn't. If it wasn't for the fact that it was quite a novel idea, I probably would've thought that it was shit.

Just watched Locke on Netflix. I haven't heard many on-screen accents worse than Tom Hardy's attempt at a Welsh one. Did nobody at any point during the film's production notice just how shit it was? It was like he was doing a really, really bad Anthony Hopkins impression. I thought that pretty much all of the people he was speaking to on the phone delivered their lines pretty poorly too - they didn't sound natural or believable and the football talk was cringeworthy. That said, I was quite gripped (considering it was film largely about concrete) and admired the idea if not necessarily the execution.

Good question . I know exactly what you mean but in my opinion, the answer is no. If you're referring to the dead lift variations then they are what are known as 'hinging' movements, as they (should) involve hinging at the hip (not flexing the lower back as many people seem to think). Muscles in the back are used as stabilisers and those movements will obviously help you pack some muscles on there but in order to balance out the pressing, you need some scapular retraction. In other words, you need to row as the shoulder blades are static in the deadlift and need to retract (the opposite of what they are doing when pressing) to get the benefits. A really, really common mistake when rowing is letting your guns/pythons do all the work. Learning to row properly was a game changer for me. Basically, make sure you're squeezing your shoulder blades together (or just retracting one if doing single arm) before you flex your arms and when you do, consciously lead with the elbows. They shouldn't come too far past your torso. Crucially, row slowly. Dynamic rows are shit IMO. The batwings I mentioned before really helped me with this. A very simple movement but I can't recommend them enough. With regards to the balance, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to do more sets of rows - reps count. So for example, if you did 4 sets of 5 on DB bench (20 reps), you could just 4 sets of 10, or 3 sets of 15 etc. on your rows and your ratio is sorted. I tend not to do anything below 10 reps on rows when doing my own programs. Awesome video on rows (this guy is intimidatingly smart): Anecdotally, I think I mentioned that I'm doing the advanced GVT program at the moment... Not sure how I feel about it as a whole but what I do know is that it's quite pressing-heavy and my shoulders haven't felt this shit for a long time. I've tried sticking 3 sets of 20 band pull-aparts on the end of my workouts which seems to have helped somewhat. Still can't wait to finish it, though.

I feel your pain. My gym is out of this world equipment-wise but there are some right clearings in the woods in there. It's now full of chavs and selfie-taking Instagram words removed. I think I've been caught in the background of about 7 or 8 videos or photos this week alone. What's worse is that the gym now seems to be encouraging it. Put your **** phone away and lift some weights you knobs! It was awesome in there at first as the guy who owns it is seriously into his training (I think he's won a few big bodybuilding titles) and he seemed to have just created a bit of a playground based on all the stuff he wanted and saw in American gyms and kept a bit of exclusivity about the place but he just seems obsessed with making more and more money now. He's filling it with some really shitty personal trainers, putting on constant classes that take up most of the equipment and relentlessly marketing it to the point that it's way over capacity.

Progression, man! You wouldn't stroll up the bar and try to deadlift 200kg straight away so apply the same principle to your conditioning. Work:rest ratios of 1:3, even 1:4 are fine to begin with. So is just doing 4 or 5 rounds while your build up your stamina.

Don't worry about it, i'm always open to constructive criticism. The volume for me isn't an issue and I still manage to hit the exercises intensely, I guess it comes down to personal preference. I think there is a decent balance between pulling and pushing though isn't there? What would you suggest I take out and add? Bare in mind i'm only using free weights. Surely volume that high would impair your recovery, even if you don't necessarily realise? Especially if you're doing those workouts twice a week. How long do those sessions take to complete?! I'll be honest and say that 90% of the advice I give people is based on mistakes I've made myself. I made great progress when I cut the number of exercises I did in a session but did say, 4-6 sets and hit them hard. Gave me more scope for switching things up! With regards pulling and pushing, you are doing 14 sets of presses in your CDT workouts and only 6/7 rowing variations in your BBF sessions (no mention of rep ranges). If anything, that ratio should be reversed. You're doing pretty much the same number of sets for biceps as you are for upper back... Also, doing different grip barbell rows in the same workout seems a bit pointless to me (and quite taxing on the lower back). I'd save that switch for different workouts. I'm going back to personal preference (again) but I do very little direct shoulder work now other than dead-stop/incline lateral raises and some rear delt stuff, with the occasional set of front raises, and if anything, they've grown and feel 10x better. There also don't seem to be any vertical pulls to balance out the overhead pressing.

Looks like a pretty good bodybuilding-type plan to me. There are a couple of things I would change/add but I'm not sure how much of that is influenced by my personal preference. I'd try pairing some stuff together and I wouldn't do barbell rows before deadlifts as the isometric hold while flexing at the hips is quite taxing and could impair deadlift performance. In fact, I prefer DB or chest supported rows for that very reason. I would probably only do 5x5 for the 'Big Three' as well. Google 'Dan John Batwings' for an awesome back exercise that has done wonders for me (anything by Dan John is worth reading). I'd also recommend band pull-aparts. I've read a lot of stuff suggesting that the upper back responds best to high volumes/rep ranges. Weighted pull-ups changed the game for me, too. I'm not a fan of the leg press and I only do leg extensions for very high reps (20+) for a pump but again, that's largely preference. Maybe don't stick to rigid set/rep ranges. I've found what works for me and tend to adjust accordingly. I'll try and vary exercises/change up the angles every other workout and always try and incorporate progressive overload principles.

Sorry if it seems like I'm just trying to shit on everyone's routines but there a couple of reasons why I would never do or recommend that plan. Firstly, look at the amount of pressing you're doing in comparison to rowing movements. That's a recipe for imbalance and ultimately, injury. The ratio should be at least 1:1, if not as high as 2:1 in favour of rows. Secondly, the volume. There 9 exercises in a couple of your workouts. I have never done 9 exercises in a session (unless I've been doing agonist/antagonist pairings). I'd suggest reducing that to 5, 6 maximum and hitting each with a bit more intensity.

Tbh different things work for different people, i just do steady state incline walking for 15mins a few times a week and it keeps the fat off, HIIT didnt really work for me I wasn't talking about fat burning - I was talking about developing aerobic capacity. A fifteen minute walk will do naff all for that, unless you're ridiculously unfit to begin with, or obese and not able to handle the impact or more intense stuff .

Stamina = aerobic fitness, right? In which case, interval training is still the way to go if you want to increase your V02 max (standard measure of aerobic fitness). I'd also suggest that interval training more closely replicates most sports, rugby/football etc. Players don't run at one steady pace throughout the game, rather short, intense bursts with active rest. When playing rugby, we never did long distance runs. Obviously triathlons and stuff would probably require some long distance stuff to get you used to it but I know next to nothing about training for those type of things so can't really comment.

HIIT has been proven on countless occasions to be far superior to traditional steady state state stuff when it comes to developing aerobic capacity. It's the fastest way to raise VO2 max. So anyone looking to increase their athletic performance should ditch the long, boring stuff.

Also, being on a bodybuilding-y type plan will also tighten you up, meaning that you'll really have to keep on top of your mobility. I'd pretty confidently say that no athletes do a chest and triceps type body part split.

Got a really bad feeling about this. I'm just not sure what he has done to deserve the job. I'm assuming that we'll go down now. Goes without saying that I hope I'm proved wrong. I also think that he's an absolute cock but that has nothing to do with my scepticism.

Assuming you're talking about the rowing machine, you pretty much answered your own question! It's also good for the upper back as it's essentially just a very high volume pulling exercise. I'd say 99% of people who use it have shocking form, though. It's also not for everybody, especially those with lower back problems due to the constant hip flexion whilst seated.

I don't want to sound like a dick but I'll be brutally honest, there aren't many better ways of pretty much wasting your time in the gym than that program. Doing long duration cardio, followed by a pair of isolation exercises (one of which is terrible for the shoulders) is pretty much the opposite of ideal. Again, I'm not trying to be a fitness snob but bis and tris are pretty much the last muscles you should think about training directly. You're also doing 60 reps on biceps and 25 on triceps. Not great for structural balance. I'd say prioritise weights over cardio at the moment. That's not just the meathead point of view - lifting weights has been proven to burn fat and improve fitness effectively with the added bonus of increasing muscle. I'd strongly advise finding a solid beginners program written by a genuine expert and sticking to that.

Getting great results in terms of lean mass and strength gains using Poliquin's Advanced German Volume Training routine. He talks some nonsense at times but knows his apples when it comes to training. I'd highly recommend this or the standard GVT program, depending on experience.

What a result and a truly gutsy performance. All I'd been hearing in the lead up to the game was how the Welsh were going to "smash" us and Roberts and Davies would destroy our centres [emoji23]. And apparently the English are the arrogant ones! Great to see Robshaw stand up to the dirty tricks before the game, too. Joseph is a gem.

I'd strongly recommend that you reconsider the volume of work you're doing on your bis, tris and maybe even your delts in comparison to your chest and particularly your back, particularly considering that compound movements will hit these anyway. Just look at the size of the muscles. You should also look at doing more rowing/pulling movements to balance out the pressing you're doing. Face-pulls, TRX rows, band pull-aparts are all awesome.

I haven't watched wrestling properly for years but I love the Rumble so always make a point of watching it. What an absolute bag of shit that was. The whole thing just seemed so flat. How did they make such a great concept so boring? The two most popular guys, Bryan and Ziggler got about 5 minutes between them. They seem to have ruined Wyatt as well. Far less cool than when I last watched and despite his eliminations, he seemed to spend most of his time in the ring getting the crap beaten out of him. A Bryan win would've been awesome.

Having watched a couple of replays, that's up there with one of the most ludicrous sending offs I've ever seen.

Okore is a Titan. What a player.