TFM WEEKLY NUT
This week's highlights and best content in a nutshell

If there's one thing you read today that's change EVERY workout you ever do then this is it. I don't like wasting my precious time in the gym without seeing the benefits, and neither should you...

No, this isn't some sales pitch talking about the prospect of you working with me (although shameless plug, if you WOULD like to work with me then you can fill out your info HERE), instead this is how you can and should approach every workout and every repetition.

I was recently asked to write about the subject as a feature in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and it'll be a privilege to see that on UK shelves in a few months time. Until then here's what you should know.

MAKE EVERY REP COUNT!

If you're not making weekly progress in your training plan right now, then listen up. Chances are it has nothing to do with the exercises you're using, or to do with how much time you're spending in the gym. It has all to do with your exercise execution and overall quality of each repetition.

Start focusing less on the what and consider the how instead. What you do in the gym is the tool that will enable you to get bigger, stronger and leaner. But just like any tool you also need to know how to use it. You might have the sledgehammer, but do you really know how to swing it!?

The barbell bench press is a tool you can use to build your upper body, but there's a difference between just bouncing as much weight off your chest as possible, versus lifting with the intention to stimulate maximum muscle growth. Your muscles are on the inside of your body and have no idea how much is being lifted on the outside. And, they don't care how much you want them to grow no matter how often you tell them.

Your muscles know tension and how much force is being put through them, and that's about it. This is what causes the mechanical tension, metabolic stress and tissue breakdown that ultimately triggers a cascade of events leading to hypertrophy and muscle growth.

When trying to build muscle the load you have on the bar is irrelevant to a degree, that is unless you're still able to squeeze on every repetition and maintain tension. Very few can truly do this without sacrificing either weight or execution.

Although progressive overload is important and you should always be striving for a 1-2% increase in weight every week (or one extra repetition with the same weight), doing this at the expense of making every repetition count will produce far from optimal results. Every repetition is an opportunity to get better.

The 'art' of the perfect repetition is something professional coaches and physique athletes often won't speak about. That's because it's hard to verbalise or film, and quite frankly not as interesting as sharing a new exercise or training plan. But, perfecting your execution impacts everything, and could be the one simple thing holding you back right now.

The weight you use is less important than the tension and force you can get through the target muscle. Therefore, exercise selection is important, in that the right tool can align you properly to receive the best stimulus for that muscle to grow. This is also why picking just a few of the right tools, versus half a dozen exercises with average execution will achieve superior results.

We all have different limb lengths, leverages and movement capabilities. Picking just a handful of exercises that feel good to you, no matter anyone else's opinion, is always a good place to start. Pick exercises that help you 'find' and load the muscle optimally. Exercises that position and align you poorly are a sure-fire way to add stress to the wrong areas leading to inflammation and injury over time.

Before you start adding to your routine though, in hope that you'll stumble on a magic exercise or formula, instead think what you can delete. There's nothing wrong with variety if it can keep you entertained and motivated to train. But, pick just a handful of exercises with the right profile and then consider the quality of every repetition of every exercise first, before thinking of what you can start adding. Employ a quality-first approach before adding unnecessary quantity.