I like to recommend introducing 1 positive habit per week, and then build upon these, to help guys hit their goals. i.e. week 1 – make sure you hit your calorie target for 7 days. Week 2 – same again, but also swap sugary drinks for water for the next 7 days…etc.

Happy new year mate!

I also find setting at least two, (three is better) behavioural actions to go with each goal can help a lot too. Some of your 7 points or bevahiur based, but I’m thinking being more specific for each goal.

For example your goal may be to achieve <15% body fat in 3 months. Your behavioural actions maybe:
– No more than 4 glasses of alcohol per week (or zero)
– Consume < 2000 Kcal per day
– Ensure have three strength sessions per week with heavy combo moves

If you hit these three behavioural actions, your chances of success will also be significantly enhanced…

Sorry for the late response on this one.

Always work to failure in every set. Your first set can be experimental in that you try out a weight level and do as many reps (with strict form) as possible.

But if you’re hitting 9, 10, 11 or more reps then for subsequent sets you should then increase the weight to a point where you can only manage 6-9 reps.

As explained above, you really only need to be doing 2-3 sets for each exercise.

Hope this helps, Marc.

And thanks for highlighting the link between creatine and gout. Creatine does cause a spike in uric acid, and so I can see why it would affect people with gout. Anyone with medical issues, gout or otherwise, should take medical advice before taking any new supplement. It makes sense for you to avoid creatine completely if you’ve been diagnosed with it, or suffered flare-ups in the past.

However, I’ve not come across any evidence that creatine actually causes gout – and countless studies have shown it is perfectly safe for healthy individuals.

Hope you’re feeling a bit better now, and the training is going good!

Cheers, Marc

Are you suggesting that we go to failure on each set?

For example, arm day; I would typically do a “warm up” set and get 12 reps in comfortably on say a bicep curl. When I come around to that exercise for the second set, the weight goes up and I might just push out 12, maybe 11 reps. Next set the weight goes up again and I would get say 7 or 8 reps and this would be my failure point. Once failure has been achieved, I don’t go back to this exercise again on that day.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that we achieve say 6 – 8 reps at which point you would fail on each set you do? The opportunity to increase the weight as per “my method” would not exist then.

Thanks Marc and I hope you follow my meaning.

Phil

Great article as always.

I would use caution to readers with creatine. I tried it about two years back and after 5 times, I got real bad gout in one toe joint; absolutely horrible thing to get.

On going to Dr. Google, I found that there were loads of people in exactly the same situation. I don’t know how you find out if you will be afflicted or not however, once you have got it, you’ve got it for good! Every time I read the word creatine, I shudder and get angry.

Phil