From Flabbulous to Fabulous #Star Client of The Week

So after the success of Jonathon King we are continuing with my client profiles. As I’ve had many of you lads requesting me for tips on packing on muscle or ripping up I thought I’d choose Ilan Goldstone. Ilan like many of you had trained on and off for a while but never got himself the motivation to make the changes in his life style that would lead him to achieve the physic he hand long craved. Then he met me!

This was how it all began… thin, tubby frame with little muscle

…and this is how Ilan turned out!!!!!!

Stacked, Ripped, Lean, Athletic or any number of adjectives I could throw at this picture. All credit has to go to Ilan. He was a model client, totally dedicated with diet and exercise- often pushing him self to the point of exhaustion (this isn’t necessary or advised but it show the level of dedication he had once he could see my routine was paying off). Like most clients Ilan just lacked the guidance & set routine that would enable him to achieve this amazing body. At our enisstial consultation like all clients Ilan went through a very detailed assessment. This includes a life style & diet analysis, bio-mechanical kinetic chain assessment that determines any muscle activation defects and faulty movement patterns (without this a trainer wouldn’t know which muscles they need to “turn on” to burn optimum calories and eliminate injury), Fitness assessment, Anaerobic Threshold Test (determines the specific heart rates ilan can burn fat in-this is totally individual so don’t follow “fat burn” programs!), PH acidity score (helps determine how much acid forming foods are present in the diet as these lead to formation of fat cells!!!!), Metabolic Type Testing (used later in the training routine to help client organize diet into the food groups best suited for them), strength & muscle endurance assessment, skin folds & bio feedback for body fat score, metabolism calculation, body circumference measurements.

Its a lot! But its worth it! The more information collected the better equipped I am to create 4, 8 or 12 week plan. Simply lifting heavier weights or running fast or using higher levels on the x-trainer are not the advancements the body needs to make such dramatic makeovers. AND for me the trainers who rely on such basic lazy techniques DON’T CUT IT!!!

Client programs and diets take into account all possible adaptations, most of all we look to make a client more and more efficient at stabilizing, producing and reducing force through movement. To learn more about this email me and book a consultation.

As regards to Ilan his assessments alerted me to a poor diet lacking alkaline balance, the correct proteins and vitamins but more of all his kinetic chain (basically how his body moved under stress) had all sorts of faulty movement patterns. Below Iv given a brief incite into Ilans assessment:

Bio-Mechanical Kinetic Chain Test Results

Feet: External Rotation (turn out) -caused by tight Gastrocnemius, Piriformis

Knees: Adduction (knock in)- caused by tight adductor Longus, Brevis & Magnus. Week Gluteus Maximus & Medius.

Lumb-Pelvis-Hip Complex: Anterior Pelvic Tilt (hips fall forwards as back arches)-caused by tight Hip flexors Psoas Major & Iliacus. Week Gluteus Maximus

Shoulder Complex: Humeral Head internally rotates & Protracts (shoulders turn in and upper back rounds)- caused by tight Pectorals Major & Latissimus Dorsi. Week Tranverse Trapezius, Rhomboids.

OK that all sounds total mumbo-jumbo but to me it tells me Ilan wants a bigger toned chest but he cant achieve that if the muscle is short and tight.

Many trainers would just train chest, chest, chest or even worse think “right his chest is tight so lets work his back and do rows & lat pulldowns” OM effin God!!!! That’s totally wrong and I see it constantly in the gym! Lat Pulldown and most rowing exercises recruit in most part the Latissimus Dorsi (the wing muscle on your back) this muscle attaches at the bottom of intertubercular grove (FRONT of the arm). So exercising this muscle will INCREASE internal rotation and therefore small tight chest!!!!

 

So first of all we devised a muscle activation program to help “turn on” Ilans week muscles and “turn off” his tight over active muscles. After that we started to pack on size!!!!!!

Finally here is the Program: Week 1 Integrated Stabilization Training

Now to Ilan these weights will seem embarrassingly light but at these tempos they hit him hard at the time!

Aim is to challenge the entire kinetic chain and so force adaptation increases between the nervous system and muscle relationships. So basically activate a higher percentage of muscles and burn more calories!

Tempo 3/2/2

Rep Range 25-50

Sets 1-3

Rest 30-60 seconds

Format: Unstable Environment

Session 1:

Single Leg Bridge

Single Leg Squat

Ball Crunch

Ball Prone Iso Abs

Cardio: Anaerobic Training

Session 2

Single Leg Deadlift-to-Press

Ball Jack Knife Press up

Ball Prone Row

Ball Prone Tricep Extension

Ball Prone Shoulder Press

Cardio: Anaerobic Training

Phase 2 Functional Strength

All the big muscle density increasing, calories burning total body exercises that gave Ilan the base to work from. Still High Rep Ranges.

Exercises include

Deadlift

Squat

Body Row

 Lunges

Shoulder Press

Chest Press

Power Cleans

Shoulder Snacth

Phase 3 Strength-to-Stabilization Training

Aim: Increase muscle recruitment & force increase in adaptation in muscle size. Stress all muscle fibre types (fast & slow) & cause maximum anabolic environment for muscle growth.

To see a sample of this form of training please view my ultimate chest workout! Ilan worked in this phase for 3 weeks with slow increases in his calorie intake as more muscle becomes active.

Diet

The key to getting in shape is to try and speed up your metabolism so that your body is more efficient at burning calories and doesn’t store so much fat. One way of doing this is to try and eat lighter meals more regularly: so instead of having three big meals a day, the idea is to have five or even six smaller ones. This means that your body is constantly digesting manageable amounts of food. Which makes it a more efficient machine.

Sample Day For Ilan on Training Day

7.30am breakfast

80 grams organic porridge oats with water or hemp milk (small amount of organic honey, dust with cinnamon to flavour)
Whey Protein shake

10am Snack

3 slices of toasted rye bread with almond butter/cashew nut butter spread with Green Tea.

Post-training lunch

1 lean grilled turkey breast
Lightly steamed mixed green veg-broccoli, spinach (helps balance PH alkaline levels)
25 grams brown basmati rice
Drizzle of oil

4pm snack

1 fresh grapefruit
Hemp Protein shake

Green Tea

7pm dinner

1 large lean grilled steak
Lightly steamed mixed vegEvening Snack

Whey Protein Shake

Digestive Enzyme Drink

Ilan stuck with his ever changing program & he survived every session I threw at him. He was a model client and one of my best success stories. Ilan finished his time with me by being selected for fitness cover magazine competitions. His body is enough of a testament to his work, motivation & determination.

This week I will be posting some of Ilan’s most intense and beneficial workouts so I hope you have a go and let me know how its worked for you.

Big Thank you & well done to Ilan. No need for the cap anymore mate  (private joke!!!ha)

Peace & Love

Stuart