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Harvey, welcome to Smoton Yesterday podcast.
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How you doing?
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Good morning.
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Um I'm good.
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Yeah.
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What have you been up to today?
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Uh milk the cows this morning, fed round, bed down, shut them outside.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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What's bed down mean?
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Um cleaning all the beds.
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So uh overnight at the moment my cows come in and they'll eat some food as part of a kind of a total mixed ration they have at night.
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Um, and they lay in cubicles or on straw beds, depending on what part of lactation they're in.
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Um, but I make sure that's all clean and tidy, all ready to go.
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So this afternoon when I go back home, it'll be uh they'll be ready for them, ready for them tonight.
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Yeah, yeah, it's a wet wet morning up there today, wasn't it?
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It it was, yeah.
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They weren't clean to go out.
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No, I bet.
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Humans aren't as well, are they?
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Yeah, yeah.
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Um so as I say, Harvey, obviously, welcome to the podcast.
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Um, for the listeners, for anybody who doesn't know you, um, just give us a little introduction to who you are, what you do, and yeah, a bit about you, really.
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Well, I'm a I'm a farmer, lifelong farmer from a long line of farmers, um, and I'm a strength athlete.
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Um I got into power lifting in 2012 competitively.
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Um, so I've had quite a number of years at it, and I'm still I'm still here.
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Um, and I've recently just done Here for Strongest Man, and I was fortunate enough to win that.
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Um so yeah, and I just I plan to continue you know competing in strength sports um forever, basically.
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Uh I really think I'm gonna kind of just die in the die in the sport, you know.
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So you you said 2020 you got into it.
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2012, it was 2012.
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Okay, so how old were you then?
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How are you now?
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Oh, I was 18 then, I'm 31 now.
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18 then, 31.
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No, that's that's some decent time in in the sort of I guess I'm gonna use the word industry, but in in the sport, isn't it?
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Yeah, it's something like 37 competitions, if I remember rightly.
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Yeah, and they're quite tough competitions to do.
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It's not like you know, football weekends where you can you could stack up a lot of matches, couldn't you?
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Uh but it is uh quite long preparation periods and quite intense competition followed by some recovery time.
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So 37 would be considered fairly seasoned, yeah.
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Yeah.
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I want to touch on that title of Hereford's Strongest Man.
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Yeah.
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Um as soon as you said it, I just imagined you bench pressing cows in my mind's eye, you know, like cave, like tell us about that.
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Um, yeah, how what happened?
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What how did that come about?
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And um well, what's the competition?
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I feel like I was firstly just very lucky to be kind of adopted by Hereford, really.
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Um I'm originally from Bedfordshire.
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Um I live on the border of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.
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Um, and I've been training at uh the unit Hereford, which is uh Connor and Robbie's gym.
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And uh yeah, I I feel like ever since I've gone to that gym, it's been two or three years now I've been going there.
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Um I've really been welcomed there, and I feel like Hereford is you know my home, really.
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I feel really I feel really happy and and to be part of you know everything that's going on in Hereford.
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So yeah, the the strongman show was something that was kind of last minute, not necessarily my absolute kind of interest in strength sports, but it was something that it was in my gym that I trained at, and it's lifting weights, so I thought, well, I should do that.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Did anyone sort of help you along that journey?
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And that when you you say 18, like did you was it watching someone online?
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Was it someone that you were with?
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What what engaged you into that strong man?
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So I went to a really good gym in Bedford, my hometown, um, and it was called Gold's Gym Bedford.
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Uh, and there was a there's a few guys in there doing some powerlifting type stuff.
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So I spoke to one of the big bodybuilders from that gym and asked him, I was like, Well, how how do I get into this powerlifting type stuff?
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Because nothing was really advertised online or especially not in the gym or anything like that.
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And he knew a coach, a
Load full transcript
guy called Steve, and I think I think Steve's packed it in years ago now.
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I'm not even sure if he's anywhere near the sport, but um he took me through a workout, it was like nine doubles on a deadlift, and uh now I know where that training is from, it's conjugate training um from a particular coach in the US.
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But at the time I had no idea what I was doing, and he took me through that protocol um and gave me a few contacts and stuff for entering competitions, um, and then after that, I basically just set out on my own and pursued these competitions and uh entered one or two of them.
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And uh in my first competition, I did a 210 kilo squat, 142 kilo bench press, and a 265 kilo deadlift.
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Wow, yeah, passive.
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That's not bad, is it?
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I'd be I'd be yeah, dreaming of doing that.
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Yeah, and that would never do it.
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And how old was that again?
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That's 18.
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I was eight.
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And did you did you think that at that point, obviously, you know, like yeah, this this is good.
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I'm I'm I'm I don't know, I feel confident in this basically.
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Yeah, I remember I come second in that first competition, and I thought, like, that's pretty good, you know, especially as a younger guy.
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The guy that beat me was significantly older.
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But looking back at it now and comparing it to the competitive landscape today, now there's 18-year-olds who are significantly ahead of where I was.
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Um, it's just so different the impact that um internet and communication technology has had on the sport because uh these these guys can start at now 13 and they can specialise very early.
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Um, so the level that they're getting to earlier is much greater.
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Um I do see it as partly a problem in a way, though, because having a broad range of things you do when you're younger and developing is important for your athletic development, and specializing too early can lead to a lot of overuse issues and a lot of problems.
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So I've seen a lot more alongside the young guys lifting lots of weights, I've seen a lot more overuse injury and a lot more things like that a lot earlier on.
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Stuff that you'd expect to see from guys in their late 20s, early 30s, they're having this at 21.
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Yeah, wow, very early.
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Just talk to me about the what makes up the powerlifting circle, if we'll call it that.
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So deadlifting, bench pressing, what other things in that are there?
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So squat bench deadlift in that order, okay, that is a powerlifting competition.
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Um, the sum total of those three lifts, that is what decides who wins each class.
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Right.
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Um, the winner of the overall, usually they use a point system.
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So it's like a coefficient system.
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So body weight and the total you've lifted, complicated mathematical formula.
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Um, they put that together and they decide the best lifter based on that's on that on that formula.
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Yeah.
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So we could still win it.
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Well, yeah, if you come in very, very, very light and be reasonably strong, you will you know do immense on points.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Do they have uh weight classes or anything?
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Yeah, so as uh I think perhaps there's maybe too many weight classes in powerlifting.
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Um, I think perhaps we should be a little bit more like boxing, but it is attractive to people.
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I understand powerlifting is a business and they want to attract more people, and it might be you know one of the few sports that does attract people from very small to very big, everything in between.
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So it's quite inclusive uh when you look at it like that, which is a good thing.
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Everyone's everyone who's running a meet wants to uh cater to as many people because they've wanted to grow the sport, um, and now we we have quite successfully actually.
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Participation is you know ten times what it was in 2012.
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Yeah, that's good.
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So yeah, it's grown immensely.
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Yeah, and so the desirable to attract more people into the industry sport um by making it more diverse in that sense.
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But yeah, I I know what you mean.
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I've seen some like photos of powerlifting competitions, and you see the weight classes, and there's not there's like two people in one main class, yeah.
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And they're categorized as like I don't know, Midlands champion, yeah, but there's only there's only two of them, you know.
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It's like but yeah, hey, hello, I'm not taking away from them.
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Great, you know, yeah, great, great effort.
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At the pro level now, most of it is points-based.
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Yeah, uh, there is the odd total only pro show where it's like Clash of the Titans, and it's everyone in the show has
to total a thousand kilos or more, and you know, the winner is the one with the highest total, but most pro shows are points-based.
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So I did the ABS Pro in Birmingham at the Fit Expo last year, yeah, and that was points based.
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I come third.
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Uh, the guy that won it was 80 kilos body weight, the guy that comes second was 140, and I come in third at 112.
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Okay, so we were all very different body weights, but the point system kind of spat us out in that order.
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It's almost like a handicapping golf, then, isn't it?
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Really?
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Yeah, that's kind of how they're doing it.
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Yeah, yeah.
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It's like say all inclusive sport, then, isn't it?
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Yeah, yeah, cool.
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Yeah, so take us back before you were 18, then any sport you're into before that?
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Yeah, I was a competitive swimmer for a number of years.
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Um, I swum in my hometown doing swimming lessons growing up, and just kind of fell into the competitive circuit.
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We had a fantastic uh Olympian who coached us called Brian Brinkley.
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Um he was a bronze medal Olympian and a gold medalist at Commonwealth Games.
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Uh so he coached all of us up to really quite a good level.
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I ended up going to national level in swimming.
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I won a race once at Nationals as a junior.
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Uh I run up won a hundred metre breaststroke time.
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The time was one minute was it one one one minute four one or something like that, I do believe.
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Can you do front call in that, mate?
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Well, yeah, so it was always considered that's quick.
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Do you know there is actually some people do breast quicker in the new front call?
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I think, yeah, maybe it is a you can that's rapid.
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Yeah, that's quick.
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But it it it falls short of the Olympic standard.
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I mean, realistically, these boys are going under a minute.
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Four seconds is a long time.
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Yeah, like if you ever stand there and watch a track race or a swimming race and see someone cross a line and then count four seconds, it's a long time.
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It feels like an eternity, doesn't it?
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Yes.
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So that's the difference between where I was at 17, 18 and where a lot of these guys are at the Olympic level.
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Um, they are incredible.
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And standing on the blocks against these guys at national level competitions, you soon realise I'm 5'11, quite heavy.
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At the time I was about 100 kilos, so I was too heavy, too short, and my arms are too short.
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And all the other boys were six foot six, even wider wingspan than that as well.
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Um, and you start to think, well, you know, I'm not really built for this.
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Um, yeah.
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Yeah.
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That's uh I think at that point then you realise obviously, you know, I'm not gonna continue with this uh, I guess, passion or um whatever it is that you call it at that stage, and then you go on into the the strong man or the or at least the weightlifting first session in the gym.
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What was that?
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What did that look like for you?
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Do you remember it?
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Yeah, so the first time I tried bench press, it was at an international training camp for swimming.
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I saw snuck off at night because I saw this gym and I was like, right, I'm gonna go and you know, I'm gonna go and try it out.
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Because before we'd done some training in there, but it was all with like bands and speed work and jumping and things like this for swimming.
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But I'd seen the bench press, and I think when you're a young lad, you the bench press is it's a rite of passage.
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Everyone has to do the bench press and find out how much you can do.
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Um, so I was on my own, loaded it up, did one plate.
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I was like, well, one plate's easy.
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So I put two plates on, so it's 100 kilos, and I fully maxed out on a hundred kilos, just about managed it.
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Nearly it would have killed me.
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I was completely alone.
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There was no like spotting system on this bench press apparatus or anything.
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It was in like an underground gym, you know, un basically under the swimming pool uh in this training camp at this swimming pool in Italy.
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And yeah, so I got the hundred kilos, went back, told all my mates, they're like, Wow, that's great, you're a god.
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Um then just kind of banked it for a while and then carried on training for swimming.
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You held that title for a while.
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100 kilo bench presser.
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Yeah, can you bench 100 now, Darren?
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No, I can bench half of that, I don't think not a
chance.
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Yeah, god, no, nowhere near.
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I'm not even gonna justify that I can't trigger it down home a little bit.
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Let's try it out.
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Yeah, we'll go later.
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I'll put it in the comments.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Got to find that name.
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Yeah, gotta find out, gotta find that.
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It was the most inefficient training programme for bench press.
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Uh, five hours of swimming a day.
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That's what it was that produced the hundred kilo bench press first.
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So it was a super inefficient way to train for it.
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Yeah.
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Did you say that set you up then?
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That the swim train set you up for your powerlifting career then?
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It gave me a tremendous amount of what I would now call GPP, which is general physical preparedness.
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So general fitness, but that is like relatively sport specific.
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So swimming teaches you how to move, it teaches you how to coordinate yourself.
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Um, and being able to do that in water is very similar to being able to do that in a weight room.
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So I found I picked up things really quickly, like cleans, squats, bench press, overhead press.
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Very technique-based.
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Yeah, all of these things I could pick them up pretty quickly, and like I could go and you know train for a couple of weeks, and then I could safely you know max out at them without looking too stupid.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So you mentioned um about obviously powerlifting competitions.
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Um, obviously, I'm aware recently uh you did a competition locally and you said about how Hereford's sort of adopted you as a as a as a strength train, like actual trainer.
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Um recent competition, what was it?
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Where was it?
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Hereford's strongest man.
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Um it was at the unit Hereford, yeah.
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Um, and I feel really lucky to be um you know adopted by Hereford and that gym.
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I feel like ever since I started going to that gym, I've been like part of the furniture as soon as I walked in the door.
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Very friendly place, isn't it?
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Yeah, Robbie.
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Yeah, so yeah, did that competition.
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I kind of just jumped into it without any real training, if I'm honest.
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I just sort of considered it a little bit of a side quest to my powerlifting.
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Yeah, um, some of the events in it I didn't even train for until the day.
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Okay.
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So the SAC toss I didn't train for.
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I didn't train at comp weights for the farmer's walk or the sandbag carry.
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Um, I just picked up a 140 kilo sandbag one week and thought, right, well, I can do that.
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I'll leave that alone and just carry on, you know, heavy barbell training.
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Um, but yeah, I was lucky lucky lucky enough to win it.
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Um and yeah, I think it's kind of a testament to barbell training carrying over into other forms of strength sports.
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Uh yeah.
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I think that's um an interesting thing to think about though, that you've purely focused on the three aspects of of powerlifting is if is averse to going, well, I need to spend time on these other areas where you know that okay, well, I can do that way when it comes to comp day, but because the training transfers across, it's not something that I've got to go and you know, because I guess we'll probably get into a minute, how do you plan your week?
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And it's like, do you waste time on certain areas?
00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:15.200
Well, not waste, but you know, do you use time and resource in areas where you could be doing more into the actual three foundations of powerlifting, if you know what I mean?
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.559
Yeah, well, sports specificity is very popular at the moment.
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:29.200
If you look at most of the training trends, people are trying to make things as competition specific as they possibly can.
00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:34.799
So there's a fair argument for that, but it all boils down to a needs basis.
00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:48.399
So if you're an experienced lifter and athlete, you know how to move your body, you've done movements before, um, then you'll find that there's a lot of carryover from all the different things that you've done, and your motor patterns aren't just going to go away.
00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:52.480
You're not gonna forget how to pick something up off the floor.
00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:59.279
Um, so I like to structure my training in almost if you would imagine, like a pyramid.
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.799
Uh so at the bottom of the pyramid, you've got general training.
00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:09.440
So you might do some carries, you might drag a sled, you might do some general fitness stuff, some cardio.
00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:19.200
That level of training allows you to then do your next level of training to a high quality, and that level of training is essentially bodybuilding.
00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:31.200
You're lifting barbells, dumbbells, maybe some machine work and stuff in there, but you're doing those for high reps, and you're trying to change your body's composition with that type of training.
00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:40.000
And then the top part of the pyramid, which is the smallest part of the pyramid, that would be what I consider the sport-specific training that you're going to do.
00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:53.039
So if you're doing a powerlifting competition, that would be doing your squat with all your kit on, your knee sleeves, your belt, uh, your wrist wraps, whatever, in the competition rack with the competition weights, that would be your sport-specific training.
00:17:53.119 --> 00:18:08.240
Yeah, um, but how the trend is moving now is that people are doing pretty much all sports-specific training, anything else is very much fell by the wayside or not at all a priority.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:20.240
But to me, general training is as much of a priority as the sport-specific training because I need to be in shape to train heavy, in shape to lift heavy.
00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:42.640
So I will pull a sled every morning for ten minutes, and it's not sexy, no one's gonna watch a video of that, no one's gonna be interested in me dragging 80% of my body weight along the floor for 10 minutes, but what that is doing is it's conditioning all my connective tissue, and it's giving me a cardiovascular advantage when I go and train later on that evening and lift heavy.
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:46.000
I'm not gonna be out of puff if I'm doing sets of eight.
00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:48.400
That's not even gonna be a consideration.
00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:57.920
I'm gonna be going more towards muscular fatigue and muscular failure because I'm not thinking about what my cardiovascular system's hurting, or I can't breathe.
00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:01.519
Yeah, um, so that's that's my general my my general approach.
00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:03.279
Yeah, and it matches up with ours, doesn't it?
00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:05.279
You know, kind of that's what we do for our endurance athletes.
00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:14.160
You know, we're not gonna go our bottom section is let's say is that zone two training, it's that kind of long distance and yeah, sports specifics right at the top, yeah, exactly the same as us.
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:19.039
Yeah, so our reference is A20, so yeah, 20% high intensity, 80% low.
00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:26.319
And I think what you've said there really makes sense in terms of okay, if you're a runner, you cross-train, you do swimming and cycling and weight training.
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:31.279
As a triathlete, anyway, you've you're doing all three disciplines, but you're also doing strength training.
00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:37.279
Um, but the specific of that race day only happens uh you know in what we call I guess a simulation.
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.000
So we'll do a simulation run, simulation event, whatever that might be, and then the
rest of it sits down here.
00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:47.119
So yeah, for your uh 10 minute sled pulling, ours might be 20 minutes on the bike every morning.
00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:54.640
But I'm a runner, I'm doing 20 minutes on the bike every morning because, like you say, when you come to doing that um that run, you're less you're more conditioned.
00:19:54.720 --> 00:20:06.240
Or if we're doing uh I don't know, plymetrics or uh you know power strength conditioning, we're not gonna get, as you say, uh fatigued from the actual heart or from your cardiovascular system, it's gonna be muscular, yeah.
00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:07.200
And that's where it should be.
00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:11.359
Yeah, you shouldn't go and do a strength session as a runner and get out of breath.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:18.640
Like you should be fit fitter than anyone in there, and you should be using your muscle in those sort of sessions if you do your pyramids upside down, mate.
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:19.279
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:20.400
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.359
But that's true, isn't it?
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.279
Yeah, people I love I love the way you put that.
00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:27.279
It's it's yeah, that's how it is with power lifting fashion right now.
00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:28.000
But why?
00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:39.200
Um why why have they decided that's because that the sports-specific training is appropriate for people because it's appropriate for a very small percentage of people.
00:20:39.359 --> 00:21:04.799
Now, those people would be people who are already incredibly muscled, um, they're already competing at a high level, and the areas that they need to improve are technical, so they already have all the raw materials they need to be a great lifter, but all they need is that now that icing on the top, that technical precision, so that's what they push, and it's quite common now, and it does make me cringe.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:09.920
But they're doing SPD days, which is like a powerlifting competition, multiple times a week.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:15.440
Now, as a triathlete, you wouldn't compete multiple times a week, it would wear you down.
00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:17.839
Yeah, it's no good, and it wouldn't build you up.
00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:20.880
You wouldn't be managing your soft tissue very well if you were doing that.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:25.599
But because it's the fashion now, that's where people are that's where people are going.
00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:44.799
Um, they've lent more into because of that more of a polarized model, so where they're doing a heavy lift, and then everything kind of around the 80-75% range, they're dropping that out almost entirely, and then the rest of their training is extremely low intensity.
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.799
But why would you leave out 70 to 80% range?
00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:52.319
That's a that's the goal, that's like the golden range for getting strong.
00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:59.680
That's where your five by fives are, that's where your three by eights are, that's where your traditional tried and true bread and butter straight.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.880
Strength training is.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:01.119
Yeah.
00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:09.759
It's not in the single, and it's not in the really low intensity set of lap pull downs that you did at the end of the SPD day.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:17.920
So the pyramid, I think the pyramid system is the closest thing we have in a sport to perfect.
00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:18.240
Yeah.
00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:22.720
And we need to treat the space in the pyramid like time.
00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:26.240
The area that the pyramid occupies is time.
00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:32.000
So the most time you need to spend under load is going to be in the general.
00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:36.400
It's going to be doing your cardio, your sled pulling, your sandbag carrying, your moving stuff.
00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:39.599
The stuff that's for time, not the stuff that's for reps.
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:45.599
And then the middle part of the pyramid that occupies the second most part, that's your high rep sets.
00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:47.759
Sets of 10s takes you a little while.
00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.680
Sets of 15, takes you a little while.
00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:51.759
So it occupies more space in the pyramid.
00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:55.759
At the top of the pyramid, how long does it take you to do a single?
00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:57.279
Seconds.
00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.640
Not long at all.
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.119
That's why it's the top of the pyramid.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.720
It's the smallest part.
00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.440
We shouldn't be doing that all the time.
00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:07.920
That's a you might do a single once a week.
00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:09.519
And that's as far as I'd go.
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:13.359
And would that single once a week be in all three disciplines or just one?
00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:14.640
Not necessarily.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:16.240
You could rotate around.
00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:20.880
I mean, training organization is can be infinitely complex.
00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:31.680
I would typically take a single, you know, maybe take a single on a squat once a month, twice a month, same thing with a deadlift.
00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:38.400
And then other times I'd favor maybe a double or a triple, maybe a set of five for like a top single.
00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:52.880
I can go into how I'd structure a training session if you'd like, because that'd give you that'd illustrate to you kind of like a practical, like for take taking the taking kind of the methodology of the pyramid and putting it into kind of a practical session that anyone could imply.
00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:53.599
Yeah, yeah, go for it.
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.759
So if I was to come into a session, I'd start off with something general.
00:23:57.920 -->
00:24:01.039
I'd want to be able to communicate to my body that we're training now.
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:02.400
So I'm gonna pull a sled.
00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:07.599
For me, I'm gonna put about 100 kilos on that sled because that's about 80% of my body weight.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.440
That's the magic percentage, 80%.
00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.079
So I'm gonna pull that sled around for about 10 minutes.
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:17.039
You know, I might pull it slowly, I might run a little bit, move forwards, move backwards, move side to side.
00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:22.400
Make sure all my hips and knees and everything's all lubricated, and then that my body knows that we're gonna train.
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:27.920
So after I do that, then I would do the sport-specific portion of my training session.
00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:33.279
So then I would do the single, the triple, or the double, or something heavy.
00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:46.559
Now, the reason for that, like scientifically, the reason for that is because you're stimulating your nervous system and you're trying to build a big connection between your intra and intermuscular coordination.
00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:51.119
You're trying that is that is scientifically what you're doing when you're when you're when you're strength training at that level.
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:56.400
It's the most efficient way to get strong is to max out, is to do 90% plus.
00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:57.839
So that's what I would do.
00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:01.519
I would say if it's a squat session like today, I would squat.
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:05.839
So I'd squat somewhere in the region of 300, 320, something like that.
00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:10.319
I'd do that, then complete mental change of gear.
00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:12.960
Then I'm changing what I'm trying to train.
00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:16.160
Now I want to try and change my composition.
00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:17.920
I want to try and get bigger.
00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:22.799
So then I would change to something like maybe a high bar squat or a different variation that's harder.
00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:27.839
So I always think when I go into a session, do my sports-specific stuff, well, what's that?
00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:30.480
It's heavy, but it's not hard.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.880
The second thing I want to do is the opposite.
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:35.359
I want to do something that's hard and not heavy.
00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:35.759
Sure.
00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:45.680
So if I change to a high bar squat and do high reps sets of eight, I'm gonna be challenging my muscles and I'm gonna be getting more hypertrophy, and I'm not gonna be beating up my joints.
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:49.359
Whereas if I just stayed carrying on going heavy, I'll be beating up my joints.
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:49.839
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.720
And then after that, I can I can go through the session, I can pick up on weaknesses.
00:25:54.960 --> 00:26:14.079
So, say if I did a heavy set, or say even on my on my uh bodybuilding stuff, maybe I felt my hamstrings, then I'd be like, right, I'm gonna focus on my hamstrings at the end of the session, yeah, do some hamstring curls, do some stiff-legged deadlifts, or if it's my quads, same thing, leg extensions, or if it's a lower back, same reverse hypers.
00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:18.640
Um, and that's that's how I would that's how I would structure a session day to day.
00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:26.480
Um, I also employ something called GPP training, so general training, which is extra workouts, and I do that every day.
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:38.960
So I do seven days a week, I'll do that in the morning, and that'll consist of sled pulling, light bodybuilding movements, stuff to really get the blood moving, and that's very, very weak points specific for me.
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:39.359
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:49.279
So I'm looking at stuff for me because I'm quite anterior dominant on the front, so I'm quite dominant in my chest and proportionally weaker in my upper back.
00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:49.680
Sure.
00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:56.720
Uh, and then on my lower body, I'm the opposite, I'm posterior dominant and I'm weaker in my quads and my anterior.
00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:09.200
So I'm picking small movements like leg extension, sled pulling, reverse hypers, abdominal training, doing them for very, very, very high reps every morning in a session that takes about 25 to 30 minutes.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:09.759
Sure.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.319
Yeah, and people say, you know, you how can I put it?
00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:23.599
You you're a busy man, you've got your own business, you work long, long hours, and you still find the time to put that session and those training in your week.
00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:41.680
Yeah, and that says a lot about kind of if you want it, you go out and get it, yeah, you know, and finding that time is prioritizing, I suppose, what's important and to fit that into your already busy life with kids, with a wife, and all that kind of stuff with cows, yeah, you know, and is that is that the first thing of the day?
00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:44.559
Yeah, so so well I'll milk my cows in the morning, yeah.
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:46.160
Give us a time, give us a time scale now.
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:47.359
What's so what time we're getting at?
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:49.759
Start milking the cows at six o'clock in the morning.
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:56.880
Um, and then after milking the cows, I do my general physical preparation session, 25-30 minutes.
00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:00.559
After that's breakfast, then I'm nice and hungry for my breakfast, yeah.
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:07.519
Um, and then at the end of the day, that's when my heavyweight training is, so that'll be kind of seven o'clock onwards.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:11.599
I mean, during harvest time this year, it's been more like 9:30 onwards.
00:28:11.759
--> 00:28:14.160
I've been able to actually like get under a barbell and do something.
00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:17.200
That's after a 12-hour day plus, you still go and I can't.
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:20.319
But it's you will be surprised what you can do.
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:22.480
Um, it is all still possible.
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:28.720
Um, there's you know, there's nothing really that you can't do, you just have to organise yourself around it.
00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:35.279
So, because I live on the farm, I have all my weights and stuff on the farm too in the shed, so I can just go and do it.
00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:36.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:41.920
I think that scheduling side of it, but also not letting the other things stop that as well.
00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:46.640
Like you say, a lot of people, if they're a 12-hour day, they think, Oh, I can't quite squeeze this in today.
00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:55.119
But going back to the original point of why I asked the question, obviously you milk on the cows first, then you get into training, but you said it yourself then, I'm nice and hungry for breakfast.
00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:57.680
How much better does breakfast taste when you're hungry for it, right?
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.079
100%.
00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:02.000
But the point, even rewinding from that, is that it's starting you up for your day.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:05.759
Those movements, this mobility, you know, getting the heart rate up.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:12.880
Yeah, your day just if you didn't do it, and I know myself on those rare occasions that I will go, oh, not this morning.
00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:22.400
I'm not saying the day's ruined, but you you have a much better day when you do those things in the morning, where even just be going for a walk in the morning, you you're setting yourself up for the day, aren't you?
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:34.880
And equally the mindset of saying to yourself, I'm gonna get up tomorrow and do that, and doing it psychologically, you tick a few of them off and you start becoming way more confident within yourself and how you approach your your general life day-to-day as well.
00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:38.000
So yeah, and when did that little morning-in routine start?
00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:41.279
So that started probably four or five years ago.
00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:41.759
Sure.
00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:52.400
Um, that's when I changed my training from sort of standard West Imperialisation to concurrent training, where I'm trying to bring up multiple qualities all at the same time.
00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:59.680
Um, and that is based off a book by a Russian called Zatziorsky, and it's called The Science and Practice of Strength Training.
00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:06.079
It's on its third edition at the moment, but that is, in my opinion, the best book on strength training that you can buy.
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:13.839
So if you're a coach, if you're interested in strength training, that
is the book where all of my kind of philosophy is is from.
00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:21.440
Um I've I've read other books and and listened to other coaches, and there are a lot of other things that make sense, and there is a lot of overlap.
00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:26.480
But science and practice of strength training, that was the thing that really brought it all together for me.
00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:34.319
And it was it was the pivotal moment where I realized that all of your training qualities have to be rising at the same time.
00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:40.559
You cannot get stronger and less cardiovascularly fit because it's not sustainable.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:42.880
You have to bring everything up together.
00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:49.440
Yeah, I think that's the the cardiovascular side of it, is probably something like being transparent off the cuff.
00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:52.319
People would say, Oh, I bet Harvey doesn't do much cardio.
00:30:52.480 --> 00:31:02.799
But what you've just said there is that they have to race together because and and touching back to what we said earlier, you can't be out of breath lifting weights because then you're not going to get any better at lifting weights.
00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:10.079
No, and so off the cuff, it's like, yeah, you know, it's so so critical to overall health, you know, and performance.
00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:13.759
Let's, you know, we're we're we're all talking performance here, it's about performance, isn't it?
00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:26.160
Well, what we're what we're trying to do is we're trying to change our bodies, we're we're trying to increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, increase speed, and what all of that is based on is building new tissue.
00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:28.240
And what do we need to do to build new tissue?
00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:33.359
We need to be more anabolic, so we need to be able to generate protein synthesis.
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:38.720
And one of the most important things you can do as an athlete is be sensitive to the food you eat.
00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.160
And well, where does that come from?
00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:44.000
That comes from being sensitive to insulin, your body's own natural insulin.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.440
You need to be sensitive to it.
00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:50.319
If you're not fit, when you eat a high carbohydrate meal, how do you feel?
00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:52.079
Sluggish.
00:31:52.400 --> 00:32:01.279
When you have just done a big workout, when you you know really push the limits, you have a high carbohydrate meal, you have a high car, you know, you're gonna feel great.
00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:06.559
You're gonna feel like you're re-energized, your muscles are gonna feel full again, and you're gonna feel ready to go.
00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:14.400
So that's one of the most one of the most important things uh, you know, that all of this additional fitness training alongside weight training gives you.
00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:29.039
It gives you the it gives you the ability to process your food and create muscle at a faster rate than someone who would be just banging away at the weights, but who is unfit, that they're not gonna be as anabolic, they're not gonna grow muscle as quick.
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:29.599
No.
00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:37.680
It's very rare that you meet an endurance athlete or a strength athlete or any athlete that goes through a career without any injuries.
00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:42.160
Um, so have you had any injuries and how have you doubted them?
00:32:42.640 --> 00:33:01.200
Well, when I was a junior power lifter, I had I wouldn't have even said it was a particular injury, it was more just kind of my genetic predisposition, but I had jammed fat pads in my knees, uh, which made squatting incredibly painful, really.
00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:07.440
Um, so I had a period of about six years where I I didn't compete in squatting.
00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:19.119
I I did a lot of bench pressing, I got very good at bench pressing, I got to a 230 kilos on the bench press, and I won the uh pro bench press at the Arnold Classic in 2021.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:33.119
Wow, but like after discovering concurrent training, reading science and practice strength training, understanding that all these qualities need to raise together, that's when I started employing things like pulling the sled.
00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:38.079
And that's something that allowed me to condition my knees, condition my soft tissue and my tendons.
00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:42.160
Because I was on the verge of having knee surgery at like 23 years old.
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:42.640
Wow.
00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:49.759
I was you know really considering, you know, I like I need to I need to you know look into this because it's day to day giving me pain.
00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:59.519
Um but the real magic was uh conditioning the tendons before you lift the heavy weights, not expecting the heavy weights to condition your tendons because they don't.
00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:14.400
Uh because really eccentrics kind of destroy joints more than they build them up, but concentric only training, like pulling a sled, because when you think you're not lowering anything, you're just pushing, then you're just building, you're not tearing down.
00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:18.639
So that that's that's the magic of that type of training, and that's what that's what fixed my knees.
00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:19.360
Oh yeah, yeah.
00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:25.199
And now I've come back from squatting and uh uh to squatting and uh now I squat 360 kilos.
00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:30.239
So before I think the best I ever did was 325.
00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:34.639
So I progressed immensely because where was the hole in my game?
00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:36.400
It was my tendon integrity.
00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:38.719
Yeah, I needed to build my tendon integrity.
00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:41.039
There we go.
00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:46.400
You you have to you have to cover all your bases, so all your joints have to be trained too, it's not just your muscles.
00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:48.159
Yeah, is that the only injury you've had?
00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:49.360
No others, pretty much.
00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:52.639
I mean I've had a few niggles in my shoulders here and there, but I'm quite hard-headed, hard.
00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:53.599
It's not bad then, is it?
00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:56.480
It's not bad for the pressure you put through your body.
00:34:56.559 --> 00:34:57.119
That's not bad.
00:34:57.519 --> 00:34:58.079
Preparing it, isn't it?
00:34:58.159 --> 00:34:58.800
Is that what we've said?
00:34:59.039 --> 00:34:59.519
So yeah.
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:01.199
So you touched on a big number there.
00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:03.039
What what are your PB lifts in the three?
00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:11.599
So my PB lifts in the three are 360 kilo squat, 230 kilo bench press, and a 385 kilo deadlift.
00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:16.400
Yeah, that's it, that's it.
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:17.199
That's impressive.
00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:19.440
And do you do you inspire to go higher?
00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:20.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:24.400
I mean, I'm I'd consider myself a journeyman in the sport.
00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:30.320
Um, I know that world records and things are very hard to do.
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:55.280
You know, it it's hard to win a world championships, it's hard to break a world record, but I'm in it for the long run, so yeah, I'm I'm looking for improvement, but then at the same time, I understand that the cost of me trying to reach some of the dizzying heights that some of the guys can go to uh might be a little bit too high for me because at the end of the day, I do have to still be able to work on the farm, I do have to still be able to provide for my family.
00:35:55.519 --> 00:36:08.559
So I understand that if I was to be you know saying, Well, I want to deadlift the most anyone's ever deadlifted before, I understand that that would come with a significant cost um and would potentially risk my livelihood.
00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:22.239
Um that's yeah, something to accept, and it sounds like you have because albeit that powerlifting is important to you, you know, the big the livelihood in your family are more that is the foundation of everything.
00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:23.519
I can't do anything about family.
00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:27.360
So I've got to look out, I've got to look out for them, um, gotta put them first.
00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:32.000
And then all the lifting and everything else on that, that's that's the icing on top.
00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:33.840
Yeah, absolutely.
00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:39.280
Beyond lifting then, uh what's the future for Harvey?
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:45.599
Well, I'm I'm looking at uh starting my own uh powerlifting club.
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:59.679
Uh so over the last year or so I've been uh working on a working on a building and I've got it more or less sealed now and I'm buying equipment from all over the place.
00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:08.880
I've been running around with my flatbed trailer all over the country buying, you know, anything that's uh I can I can barter and and everything because I like I like a deal.
00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:15.360
Um I know what equipment I wanted, I wanted some quality equipment, so I knew I wanted to try and make it work on a budget.
00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:28.000
Um so I'm in the process of putting that together, and that'll be in Monmouthshire because in Monmouthshire there is no organised strength sports from what I gather.
00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:33.440
I I have been living there for 13 years and I can't find anything.
00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:43.679
I've been you know coming over the border to Herefordshire, going down to Cardiff, going over to Cheltenham or Gloucester to you know find clubs, compete and such.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:46.719
Um but nothing in my in my home county.
00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:51.840
So I'm really looking to set something up for me and other people around there.
00:37:52.159 --> 00:38:02.639
Um there's the odd commercial gym round there, maybe kind of bodybuilding sort of gym, but nothing that's really leaning towards uh strength sports.
00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:03.039
Cool.
00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:04.559
So that that's obviously the business side of things.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:06.719
Is there coaching as well involved in that from yourself?
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:08.800
Yeah, there there will be, yeah.
00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:22.079
I've coached um I've coached someone uh to a really high level before after I won the Arnold Classic, uh broke the British record for the uh drug-tested bench press for the UK that competition.
00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:27.440
And uh I coached someone from scratch to beat my lift.
00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:34.400
So I coached a guy called Keelan Walton and uh I coached him to uh to to beat my British record bench press.
00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:36.880
Yeah and uh he was successful, very successful.
00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:51.840
Unfortunately, he got injured um uh you know a good a good while after we kind of parted ways coaching wise, um, but I think he's on the path to recovery, so yeah, hopefully he'll get he'll come back quality.
00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:53.199
Yeah, that's amazing, yeah.
00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:59.039
To to be able to give back as well to the sport as well in that sense of not just creating a club but coaching people through their journey as well.
00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:09.119
Yeah, I mean sat down here for 45 minutes, you you've obviously you know your your stuff, you know, you're a very knowledgeable bloke and uh your passion for it as well is is is out there just screaming.
00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:15.199
Yeah, I'm a real reader at Lambing at Lambing time because I have to stay up late when I lamb the sheep.
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:22.000
I read through all these
textbooks, yeah, and I and I I go over them and go over them and go over them and and you know see where I've missed.
00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:27.519
Like the other day I was walking around the farm and I was thinking, yeah, what are the two types of hypertrophy?
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:31.519
And I'm like, oh it's it's myofibular, and what's the other one?
00:39:31.599 --> 00:39:33.039
And I went I had to go and look it up.
00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:39.199
So I went to uh I went to a book uh by a guy called Berkeschansky called Super Training, and I was like, there it is.
00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:44.079
It's uh Myofibula and uh it's uh it's another one and I've I've even forgotten now.
00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:46.159
It's gonna look really good.
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:47.920
Psychoplasmic, psychoplasmic, there we go.
00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:49.920
It's myofibula and psychoplasmic hypertrophy.
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:55.599
Um, because it was bugging it was bugging me when I was walking around the farm because I was trying to think, oh, yeah, you know, lift the heavyweights and you get the myofibula hypertrophy.
00:39:55.760 --> 00:39:56.559
Well, what's the other one?
00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:57.440
I forgot it.
00:39:57.760 --> 00:39:57.920
Cool.
00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:00.480
I like that journey, that journey, you're learning all the time.
00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:02.880
We're all learners coaches, and it's yeah, it's great, mate.
00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:05.119
Is the uh book in the car on the passenger seat?
00:40:05.360 --> 00:40:08.480
No, but I've got a drawer, a particular drawer with my favourites in.
00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:10.639
Um and they're easy access as well.
00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:12.079
So I have it right next to my sofa.
00:40:12.159 --> 00:40:12.400
Yeah, yeah.
00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:16.000
So whenever I have a spare minute, if I'm sat down, I'm like, there it is, the book's out.
00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:17.679
Yeah, there we go, going for a chapter or two.
00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:19.199
Yeah, that's good.
00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:27.840
Yeah, so a lot of that is about learning and developing and going into uh a smarter today, which is obviously the podcast is not on yesterday.
00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:31.119
So, what would you give anyone out there that's listened to this?
00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:37.280
Not necessarily in powerlifting, but in training that is just getting into it, a bit of advice for for day one.
00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:42.400
Okay, um I would say stick to basic training.
00:40:42.559 --> 00:40:44.480
I would say stick to tried and true.
00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:48.880
I would say if you want to do strength training, you can't go wrong with five by five, 75%.
00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:56.480
Yeah, you can apply that across the across the board for possibly years and make progress.
00:40:56.719 --> 00:41:08.480
And I would say you need to get really good at running those basic programs before you start looking into what the pros are doing, what are they using, what are what's where are they training?
00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:09.440
It doesn't matter.
00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:13.920
Yeah, if you have a barbell and some weights, you can do five by five at 75%.
00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:16.880
And I feel like that's a really, really good place to start.
00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:17.280
Yeah, yeah.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:18.559
And that will take you far.
00:41:18.719 --> 00:41:21.760
And just for anyone that's listening, 75% is of your body weight.
00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:22.800
Of your one rep max.
00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:24.239
Your one rep max, okay.
00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:30.239
So I guess if someone's jumping into it for the first time, they're probably not going to know what their one rep max is.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:32.800
How would you how would you go about learning that early doors?
00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:34.079
I'd learn the movement.
00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:39.119
So when I first started training, like anyone, you jump on the bench press, you do the bar.
00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:39.599
Yeah.
00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:42.559
Maybe then you add a plate, do a set of ten.
00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:46.320
And you'll soon establish relatively well how strong you are.
00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:46.960
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:41:47.360 --> 00:41:54.159
So doing just some general learning, almost like play, that's how you would establish a very, very, very basic level.
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:00.559
But if you ask me, a lot of young lads, they're gonna want to try and see how much they won't read maximum bench press.
00:42:00.639 --> 00:42:02.000
Yeah, so they're gonna know.
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.400
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:06.880
Um, and then they're gonna be able to apply that percentage and they're gonna be able to go forward and make some do some proper training.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:09.039
It is the male flex number, isn't it?
00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:10.880
It's the one everyone asks for.
00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:11.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:12.320
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:18.159
What's one thing that you're still trying to improve on personally in your journey?
00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:28.719
Um, I'd say in lifting, um in lifting, I think I'm just trying to become constantly more well-rounded.
00:42:29.039 --> 00:42:32.880
I want to be able to produce my best numbers all on the same day.
00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:43.440
I feel like that's something that's I mean it sounds like it should be quite simple, but at the top level it's um it can be quite sticky, it can be quite hard to do.
00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:48.239
So personally in lifting, I think that would be I think that would be like my main goal.
00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:55.599
Like producing personal best lifts or equal personal best lifts in one competition all on the same day.
00:42:55.760 --> 00:43:16.880
Um, I would say, you know, kind of in uh in family and farm and everything, I would say the most important goal
that I have is to keep farming, hold the farm together, hold the family together, and uh basically provide for everyone on the farm and the family and just make sure that we can have a really stable, secure future, and we can have freedom too, because that's the important thing.
00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:19.519
Uh that is the thing with farming, it gives you a lot of freedom.
00:43:19.679 --> 00:43:20.239
Yeah, yeah.
00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:23.440
I guess then to be able to do the training when you need to.
00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:25.679
Yeah, it's because you have no boss, yeah.
00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:29.679
You know, I don't have someone telling me that I need to be at work this time or that time.
00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:30.320
Yeah, yeah.
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:33.599
I still have a lot of work to do, yeah, but I get to choose when I do it.
00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:34.960
Yeah, no, that's massive.
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:40.239
Harvey, listen, we're at the quickfire round question stage, so we've got a couple of quick fire questions for you.
00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:44.239
Um, so first one for me is favourite and least favourite lift.
00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:46.159
Oh.
00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:47.360
Do you know what?
00:43:47.440 --> 00:43:53.199
It's it's a funny one because when you say least favourite, I feel like I'd lean towards that.
00:43:53.440 --> 00:43:54.880
To do it actually in training.
00:43:55.039 --> 00:43:55.760
I like that though.
00:43:55.920 --> 00:43:58.719
So I I'm terrible at hamstring curls.
00:43:58.960 --> 00:44:03.119
Uh when I When I do a seated hamstring curl, originally I'd I'd cramp.
00:44:03.280 --> 00:44:05.199
I mean I'd I'd barely make it through a set.
00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:06.880
I'd just get cramps all the time.
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:10.400
But that's actually something that I'm really leaning into because I'm so weak at it.
00:44:10.719 --> 00:44:17.039
So although it's my least favourite thing to do, I've kind of made myself love it.
00:44:17.199 --> 00:44:17.360
Yeah.
00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:19.280
So I do it all the time.
00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:25.119
And anytime I notice a little bit of a deficiency in a movement, I'm like trying to hone in on it.
00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:28.480
So yeah, favorite bench press.
00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:28.880
Yeah.
00:44:29.519 --> 00:44:30.239
Said it a few times.
00:44:30.719 --> 00:44:31.599
It's it's beautiful.
00:44:31.840 --> 00:44:32.639
Could have bet on that.
00:44:32.719 --> 00:44:33.039
Yeah.
00:44:33.440 --> 00:44:35.360
I wasn't sure though if it would have been squat or something.
00:44:35.440 --> 00:44:36.480
I was gonna go bench press.
00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:38.000
No, I'm very proud of my squatting.
00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:42.880
I'm very proud of where I've like how I've come through like my knees being bad.
00:44:42.960 --> 00:44:43.440
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:44:43.760 --> 00:44:47.280
Um, but bench press really, there's just something about it.
00:44:47.519 --> 00:44:52.320
I was showing someone last night saying that we were chatting to you today your 300 kg um box squat.
00:44:52.400 --> 00:44:53.199
That is very impressive.
00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:53.840
What do you think?
00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:54.639
Yeah, yeah.
00:44:54.719 --> 00:45:02.239
It's a it's a rare one, that, because people don't really box squat very much, but it's uh it's fantastic for speed.
00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:04.800
Yeah, well, yeah, we we we would do it more.
00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:06.480
I do it pretty much weekly box squatting.
00:45:06.719 --> 00:45:13.840
Because when you sit on that box and you've got 300 kilos on your back, the first thought in your head is I've got to get off this.
00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:16.480
Yeah, so you've got to think fast, fast off the box.
00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:18.400
You've got to really flex off the box hard.
00:45:18.719 --> 00:45:20.000
Yeah, fantastic lift.
00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:25.599
Yeah, we might have touched on this a little bit, but what is the biggest lesson that your injury taught you with your knees?
00:45:25.920 --> 00:45:32.719
Well, it opened it opened the door to concurrent training, it opened the door to raising multiple fitness qualities all at the same time.
00:45:32.880 --> 00:45:43.519
You have to train your cardio, you have to train your joints, of course, you have to train your muscles, and you have to train yourself neurally to be able to produce force through your motor units to stimulate all your muscle fibres.
00:45:43.599 --> 00:45:46.639
Yeah, you have to be across the board and have no holes in your game.
00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:50.559
Yeah, what is your favourite post-workout meal?
00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:52.000
Ah, lovely.
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:56.000
So I'm a big fan of uh post-workout nutrition.
00:45:56.239 --> 00:46:13.360
I think that as long as you are insulin sensitive enough and you are doing all the training you need to be doing, after your workout is the key time to be using things like carbohydrates, um, also as well as proteins, but in uh the form of kind of a mass gainer shake.
00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:27.519
So think retro, you know, a few scoops of oatmeal, few scoops of whey protein, some molte dextrin or some cyclic dextrin in there as well, all in a big mixture, maybe a banana, maybe some peanut butter, throw it all in there.
00:46:27.599 --> 00:46:31.440
And I like I'm a big man, so I like about a thousand calories straight away.
00:46:31.519 --> 00:46:34.880
And this is sometimes even before the workout's fully finished.
00:46:35.039 --> 00:46:39.360
Um, because at this time I'm the most insulin sensitive that I'm gonna be.
00:46:39.519 --> 00:46:41.599
Yeah, so what does insulin do?
00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:43.599
It opens your muscle cells.
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:45.519
It says open sesame.
00:46:45.679 --> 00:47:13.840
So if you have proteins and carbohydrates in your blood at the very moment when you're insulin sensitive, then it's gonna get pounded into the muscle cells, and over time you are gonna grow much bigger, much stronger, and then you're also gonna be leaner because the times you're put you're taking in your calories are times where it's actually gonna be used to replenish glycogen, yeah, yeah, stimulate insulin, drive protein into the cells, increase protein synthesis.
00:47:14.079 --> 00:47:19.199
So I would do that followed by good old faithful chicken and rice.
00:47:19.840 --> 00:47:21.280
Yeah, yeah.
00:47:21.679 --> 00:47:24.480
One word to describe the Harvey that you're becoming.
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:26.159
One word.
00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:27.519
Intensity.
00:47:27.760 --> 00:47:29.039
Nice, yeah.
00:47:29.599 --> 00:47:30.400
Smashed it.
00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:32.400
Yeah, Harvey, listen, thank you very much for coming.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:34.159
We've had a really great conversation with you.
00:47:34.239 --> 00:47:36.079
I've personally learned a lot, I don't know what you've done, right?
00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:39.760
A lot of info, yeah, and um, we hope that the listeners have learned a lot from you as well.
00:47:39.840 --> 00:47:41.199
So, yeah, thank you very much for joining us.
00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:42.400
Thank you very much.
00:47:42.719 --> 00:47:43.199
Yeah, yeah.
00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:43.840
Cheers.