JB

I thought I was the word removed who fell for it. The self congratulatory wank is a solid post workout option rather than an alternative as I naïvely suggested. Let's just say we're both words removed . I'm off for an upper body sesh now to rev myself up for my now customary post-workout power wank!

If you're saying what I think you're saying, that's a myth as well. There's an inherent flaw in the logic when you think about it... Pointed out early on in this article: Thanks again, Alan

Haha and I'm the word removed that fell for it! Obviously need to read a few more threads!

Is the second sentence a critique or a suggestion for an alternative? See, just like the wrestling and rugby threads - I don't understand why people bother coming into a thread about a common interest other people share, just to slate it. With a pretty cutting remark at that. Seems to be a pretty common attitude towards training for people who can't be arsed to take of themselves. I get it a lot - people saying stuff like I must be on steroids, or that's it's pathetic that I watch what I eat and always make time for training. Regardless of getting stronger, increasing bone density, reducing risk of cancer etc. etc., we must just be a bunch of rocket polishers eh? Laura was making a point Sorry, that's gone right over my head! Typical gym monkey .

Bro science. It's nonsense. This. 50g of protein is only 200 calories. Alan Aragon is awesome for debunking the bro myths.

Is the second sentence a critique or a suggestion for an alternative? See, just like the wrestling and rugby threads - I don't understand why people bother coming into a thread about a common interest other people share, just to slate it. With a pretty cutting remark at that. Seems to be a pretty common attitude towards training for people who can't be arsed to take of themselves. I get it a lot - people saying stuff like I must be on steroids, or that's it's pathetic that I watch what I eat and always make time for training. Regardless of getting stronger, increasing bone density, reducing risk of cancer etc. etc., we must just be a bunch of rocket polishers eh?

But it's highly unlikely you'll achieve a sprinter-type physique by training for long distance runs. Quite coincidentally, I've just started reading (but haven't finished) the chapter on cardiovascular training in Mike Boyle's book. He talks a lot about the different energy systems and their recruitment in different types of sports/exercise. Bearing in mind what you mentioned about wanting to increase fast-twitch muscle fibres, this is a particularly good quote regarding the three basic types (fast-twitch anaerobic, slow-twitch aerobic and intermediate): "... a programme emphasising long aerobic workouts will cause intermediate fibres to adapt to the characteristics of slow-twitch. Only emphasising interval sprints from five to sixty seconds with longer recovery will promote the movement of intermediate fibres towards the anaerobic, fast-twitch fibre." So essentially, it looks like you might have to choose between the awesome marathon times and looking like a beast .

What type of running? Long distance or sprinting? Very different beasts with very different training requirements .

The one thing I like about crossfit is that it has introduced many people to barbell training and raised awareness of the importance of mobility. Apart from that, I can't stand it. It doesn't help that it's generally undertaken by knob heads. You can spot the former crossfitters in my gym a mile off - absolute douche bags.

Thought so. Is it mainly just core work (which I guess includes hip and glute work) or do you do any explosive stuff? Where do you do your lifting? Sorry for all the questions - I'm just really interested in how professionals in any sport train!

Do it! Make as much money as you can! Is strength and conditioning part of your training? Do snowboarders generally have S&C coaches?

No worries mate. Forgot to mention that I stretched the pecs after almost every session and did a bit of thoracic spine mobility work which also helped. Hopefully your problem isn't severe enough that you'll need to do much more than balance out the pressing and rowing.

For the first time in my life, I'm actually genuinely worried about the realistic prospect of relegation. We are just so, so bad and seem to have gone a million miles backwards from where we were at the end of last season.

Whilst I'm obviously not a physio or a doctor, I've come across similar symptoms in a lot of my reading and suffered from something like it myself before following corrective advice. It sounds like a pretty common imbalance that a lot of lifters suffer from, that if not corrected can cause a lot of trouble further on down the road. Essentially, a lot of people get tight pectorals and weak upper back from too much pressing and not enough horizontal pulling, which has an adverse effect on the shoulder. The ratio between the two should at least balance out, up to as much as 2:1 in favour of the rowing movements. Joe DeFranco advises to train the chest like a power lifter (low volume) and back like a bodybuilder (high volume - more reps essentially). Since I've followed this advice, the problem has pretty much disappeared. I rarely go below 12 reps per set on rows. Google 'dan john batwings' for an awesome corrective exercise that helped me as well. High-rep face pulls and rear delt flies worked wonders, too. I also sorted out my grip in bench press variations, which may have helped. The wide grip many people favour can exacerbate shoulder issues. I set myself up so that my upper arms are roughly 45 degrees from my torso and my forearms perpendicular to the bar. It could well be your rotator cuff. I always warm up before any upper body pressing by doing some external and Cuban rotations. Like I've said before though, I'm just some bloke on the internet so certainly don't take my word as gospel! Just thought I'd share my experience of a similar injury and how I sorted it out .

The same clearings in the woods who were hanging a France flag last week have got a Scottish one out today!!! Pathetic dicks. I hope Wales get absolutely tuned by Ireland. Oh and I can provide an address if someone doesn't believe me .

I'm not sure what your goals are and I obviously don't know anything about the rest of your training program but if your trainer is favouring isolating your arms over training your lower body (or pretty much any other body part for that matter) then he's an idiot! Depending on your level of experience, direct arm training isn't even necessary. You say you're not feeling 'buff', so I'll assume you're fairly inexperienced? In that case, you would be far better served getting good at compound movements like bench, dead lifts, pull/chin-ups where the muscles in your arms will act as synergists and grow in addition to/proportion with the other muscles in the upper body. Any remotely competent trainer should be able to tell you that. I don't normally like criticising other trainers but it pisses me off when I hear about them getting away with fleecing people with such shitty training methods.

Yep agree with all of that. Hopefully we can get the Ashton of 2010 back.

Yeah, he fell hook, line and sinker for Fickou's dummy If he hadn't of bought it, there's a good chance that conversion would have been missed and it would have set up a very exciting final two minutes, or however long they would have played on after the 80. Yeah I was livid at the lack of effort to stop him going right under the posts. It was a shame to see Jonny May go off so early - he was looking sharp. Also, how good is Big Ben Morgan?! Billy's pretty handy too, though!

hmm, that's quite interesting, I've been in and around Cardiff all day today, including a few hours in the city centre before and after the game (shopping!). I might be a bit dim, but in the drive there and back through a couple of towns and in 4 hours of walking and shopping - I didn't see a single French flag. Saw lots of Italy flags, could you possibly have seen Italy fans? Cardiff market was full of them. * not suggesting you're fibbing, every nation has it's share of dickheads Haha well I have to say, it seems exactly like you're suggesting I'm making it up! Either that or I can't tell the difference between Italian and French flags! I could tell you exactly what street I saw one of the French flags hanging out of a window next to a Welsh one. Just because we were in the same city doesn't mean that we've been to exactly the same places and seen the same people! Mate I've been to uni in Cardiff, and lived here in a couple of spells since and stuff like the flags thing happens all the time. The anti-Englishness goes far beyond rivalry. Some of the things I've seen and heard have been pretty extreme, so I'll admit that I'm pretty sensitive to it. It seems like a lot of Welsh people enjoy being anti-English over being pro-Welsh. Almost every English person I know who's spent significant time in Wales or amongst Welsh people feels the same. I don't want to ruin this thread by banging on about it or starting a debate though, so I'll leave it there!

Yeah, in fairness, Nigel Owens had an excellent game.

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It's pathetic and speaks volumes of the Welsh how many French flags I have seen hanging out of windows and round the shoulders of people in Welsh jerseys around Cardiff today. Oh and can Eddie Butler please **** off and stick to commentating on Wales games? Not only is he a rocket polisher but an incompetent commentator who can barely disguise his bias.

They've won something like the last three tournaments following a Lions tour, I believe. Can't see it this year though...

Obviously I don't know where/what your pain is but if it's preventing you doing dead lifts and squats, I'd hazard a guess at it being something to do with tight/immobile hips. It can cause pain in the leg/knee and lower back. Like I say, it's a guess but I'd recommend getting a full postural assessment or seeing a good sports physio as squatting or dead lifting are pretty essential movements. If I'm right, it may be relatively straightforward to sort out.

YES! Ashton dropped! Finally! Would like to have seen Eastmond in there, though. I'm a big fan.