Hi guys,
I hope everyone is well and enjoyed the
glimmer of sun this weekend. The excitement for the BAFL season is building, I
know the Blitz have already played a European game and a few other games are
underway. Love it.
As you know from my last post I’m currently
on a cutting phase in my Maximuscle
Protein Project . This week we’ve taken our cardio intensive training to the next
level and had some time with a few England rugby players who offered their
wisdom.
The big thing for me this week is the
importance of body weight squats and box jumps. These exercises are brutal when
done intensely and can really benefit all American Footballers. My TOP TIP for
this week is box jumps. They’re so
easy to set up and they’re amazing for increasing explosive speed, strength and
promoting muscle growth. These could be argued to be the basic athletic
qualities needed in any footballer: the faster you move, the stronger you are, the
higher you jump and the quicker you react, the better player you will be.
My top exercise for this week is for people
looking to turn up the heat on their legs:
Super set box jumps with squats
-
Squats with
solid form (5 reps)
-
Box jumps ;
20” box (10 reps)
-
Rest, 1 min
-
Repeat 5
times
For Extra leg demolition - add Front Kettle
Bell Squats before your rest (as per picture) to turn this into a size,
explosiveness and strength super circuit.
As I mentioned, we spent some time with
England rugby players, James Haskell, Tom Varndell, Paul Doran Jones and Joe
Simpson. These guys are seriously impressive athletes, massive men, and it was
great to learn from them. What was interesting is that not one of them are in the
gym for more than 45mins to an hour, irrespective of whether it’s a weight session or endurance training. It is so easy
to get caught up at the gym, but the England lads are all advocates for
intensity. Essentially, get into the gym and tear it up for an hour, keep your
heart rate and muscle burn up for better results.
I was with the rugby boys with my fellow
Protein Project contestants, David and Ollie, doing a ‘Come Dine with Me’ type
challenge. I did the Moroccan chicken dish I told you about last week. Ollie
did a decent prawn starter and David did an unbelievable chocolate cake made
from Maximuscle Promax.
Check out this VIDEO to see how he did and, more importantly, who won
I’ve been keeping my eye on the NFL which continues
to be quiet on a player front; it seems to be gearing up to the draft. As
always, the elite players stand out in the first 15 to 20 picks but I think we
all hope our teams pick an undiscovered gem like Tom Brady who was a sixth round
pick with poor arm strength and slow feet! More of those please.
Continuing with my two-cents, in my opinion one
of the most significant picks of recent time is Patrick Willis. As an ex Safety
and Linebacker I will always favour the D but I believe that few players have
been so prominent from their first NFL game or so consistent through their
first few seasons; a rare combination of natural ability with an exceptional
work and training ethic. What do you guys think?
Get in touch with me on twitter, it would be
great to hear your thoughts on my Protein Project journey, hear your training
tips, some great recipes or even hear what you think of my view on Football.
You can get me @James_ProteinP
I’m looking forward to catching up with you
next week already, remember: "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard".
Time to get to work!
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