Charlie Kirk Fitness

Principles of Strength: 3 Ways to Build More Muscle

There are 3 main principles of strength and these govern the type and the amount of muscle you gain. By manipulating the principles and using them strategically, you can make really good progress. Remember, stay consistent.

Mechanics Tension – This is created when the muscle generates force to lift heavy things. The weights used are between 80-90% of your one rep max (1RM) and the reps are usually between 3-8. Long rest periods are required for this, 2-3 minutes between sets.

Metabolic Stress – This is created by maintaining constant tension on the muscles by reversing directions just short of ‘lockout’. The weights used are between 60-70% 1RM and the reps are kept between 12-20 reps. Rest periods are less than 60 seconds.

Muscle Damage – This is created by slow negatives, extended range of motion and high tension in the stretched position of the muscle. The weights used between 70-80% of you 1RM and the reps are between 8-12 reps. Rest periods are between 1-2 minutes.

Laws of Strength

There are 5 laws of strength. Anyone who wants to build muscle or increase their strength should read these.

1) Visualise Every Lift – This allows you to gain proficiency with your lifts and cements skills, whilst avoiding bad habits.

2) Lift Without Ego – It’s not what you lift but how you lift. You need to make sure you lift light enough to maintain control but heavy enough to create adaptations.

3) Always Lift, Never Fail – Always stop when your technique begins to break down.

4) Don’t Dilute Your Strength – Focus on one thing at a time. For example, strength or hypertrophy or endurance. By training multiple, you dilute the potency of the stimuli, essentially you won’t progress as quickly.

5) Get ‘Tight’ to get Strong – By tensing your muscles, you are instantly stronger. Engage multiple muscles and stay tight during your lifts.

The Quickest Way to Make No Progress

Men have an ego problem. Men in the gym, who lift weights and train for aesthetics have a massive ego problem. What they don’t realise, is they could make so much more progress if they just left their ego at the door.

When we talk about ego in terms of lifting weights we are talking about the men (and sometimes women) who lift a weight too heavy, just to show off or impress someone. This results in their form breaking down, hindering their progress.

When you try to perform an exercise with a weight which is too heavy, the muscle you are targeting can’t complete this on its own and so recruits other muscles to aid the movement. As a result of this, the isolation of the muscle you are targeting is removed.

By leaving your ego outside of the gym, and lifting a weight which is right for you, you can isolate the muscle you are targeting which will increase muscle damage in that particular muscle, leading to an increased growth.

So for all these men (and sometimes women) who are trying to build muscle to look aesthetic, by lifting a lower weight with correct form, you will progress further and faster, which is what you want right?

Plus, no one is going to look at you and think ‘oh look at them, their lifting light weights, what a jerk’. Grow up.

The Importance of Meal Prep

Got nothing to eat at work? Meal deal’s the answer right? Quick, easy, affordable. But if you’re looking to knuckle down on your health and/or fitness, then meal prep is an important tool for reaching your goals.

Meal prep is an easy way to save time because you don’t have to do any cooking throughout the week. If you spend a couple of hours on Sunday cooking all your meals and putting them into tupperware (which will become your best friend), then they are there to just grab and go. Whether you’re taking them to work, to school, or even just at home so you have them ready.

Also, meal prep eliminates any excuses for not eating right and following your diet plan. If you need to hit certain macro nutrients and you know your meal prep does that for you, then there’s not excuse. The main reason people buy tale aways is because they can’t be bothered to cook and so if your meals are already cooked, you have no excuse for getting a take away.

Meal prep is all too often associated with boring, healthy, plain meals like chicken and rice. It doesn’t have to be this way. Meal prep just means that your meals are prepared. Therefore, mix it up and have the meals you enjoy. Unhealthy meals can be made healthy. Burgers for example can be really good.

So, to finish with, if you have goals you’re trying to reach, using meal prep could be the tool that makes the difference. It will save you time, eliminate excuses and increase your chances of staying faithful to the plan.

Are genetics the reason you’re fat?

Too many times have I heard, “the reason I’m obese is because of my genetics.” And, “my genetics stop me losing weight.” But how much truth is there actually behind these statements?

Metabolites are responsible for fat storage around the waist area and these are regulated by what eat and not by our genetics. So no matter what your genetics are, a poor diet will lead to poor regulation of metabolites responsible for fat storage, and therefore a higher volume of fat.

Only 1% of people in the UK actually can put the blame on the genes as there is a gene that will affect appetite control and food intake, however this is a minority. Everyone else is responsible for their weight and physical well-being. If you are overweight, then you should take a look at what you’re eating.

Even the people who do have a genetic tendency for obesity can regulate their weight by increasing the calorie deficit. This means eating less or moving more to burn more calories than you are consuming.

In conclusion, I suggest that you don’t hand off the responsibility of your weight to the role of genes and instead better regulate your food intake, requiring a healthy diet and making regular healthy, active lifestyle choices.

My Go-To Muscle Building Breakfast

Want to build muscle? Not sure what to have for breakfast? This is my go-to breakfast to build muscle. Lots of protein and adequate carbs make it perfect before/after a workout and even on a rest day.

A staple of all diets focused on building muscle should be egg whites. The whites are the part that contains the protein, whereas the yolks just contain fat. This is why I have a mix of both.

1 cup egg whites 1 whole egg

My breakfast also contains oats. Plain rolled oats with almond milk. I personally use almond milk because normal cows milk makes me feel bloated and this is not how I want to start my day. Occasionally I will put a protein bar in my oats for extra energy if I have a big day ahead or a tough workout ahead. Otherwise, just some fruit, usually raspberries or blueberries.

1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 almond milk 1/4 cup raspberries/blueberries

So this is my go-to breakfast, it’s really easy to make and tastes good, all whilst hitting my macros needed for my first meal of the day.

Fit Infants: Is it ever too early to start exercising?

Every good parent aspires to be responsible for the upbringing of a healthy, fit, potentially athletic child. But when is a good time to start? Too early could cause permanent damage? Too late and they won’t be interested?

The truth is, that it’s never too early to start exercising. But first we have to look at what exercising is. It isn’t always running and jumping and lifting heavy weights. Exercising can be as simple as walking, throwing, anything that involves movement and gets the heart beating faster than when at rest.

Kids love to throw things and run around and it is important that every parent encourages this to develop fundamental skills for when they grow up and become more able physically.

Lifting weights definitely shouldn’t be done until you are fully developed in terms of bone mass and this is usually around the age of 16/17 although if done correctly, weight training can be introduced earlier. A good rule of thumb is don’t lift weights until the age of 16. Bodyweight exercises such as push ups, pull ups and squats can and should be done prior to stepping foot in a gym, as these are fundamental movements and skills that not only set the foundations for weight training, but also allow you to function more optimally as a human being.

Cardio can be done as an child and there are many children that do run regularly and some even competitively. There is a technique to running so as long as this is implemented correctly then running is no problem.

At the end of the day, a healthy nation is the goal, so as long as the next generation are active and regularly raising their heart rate, then that’s all that matters. Enjoyment and Exercise is the way forward.

Hydration: 8 Glasses Myth

Nobody likes water. 8 glasses of water a day is a challenge at best. But is it really that important?

As good as water is, there are other ways of staying hydrated that probably appeal to you more. It’s easier to stay hydrated when you’re enjoying what you’re drinking, right?

Coffee and tea has long been known to dehydrate you… this isn’t true. It’s a myth. Although coffee/tea is a dietetic, it still helps to hydrate the body. However too much coffee (dependant on the individual) can have dehydrating effects.

Food is also a good source of hydration. Solid foods contribute to about 20% of our daily water intake. Fruits such as watermelons have a rich supply of water. But be careful as foods come with calories, unlike water itself.

The myth of needing eight glasses of water a day has no scientific research to back it up. The amount of water we need daily is very dependant on the individual and their lifestyles.

As long as you drink regularly throughout the day, whether it be coffee, a sports drink or water, then you’ll be hydrated. Aim to constantly sip throughout the day as oppose to downing large amounts at once.

Hydration is one of the most important areas of health and benefits every part of the body.

Is working out on your own hindering your progress?

Of course, you’re there to workout, not socialise. So why would going to the gym on your own be hindering your progress?

When it comes to fitness, some people are motivated by instagram influencers, others by a serious health concern, but a small group of people are motivated by themselves.

In my opinion, this is the hardest way to get motivated. It’s easy to look at a picture of a perfectly sculpted body and get motivated to make yourself look like that but it’s very difficult to psyche yourself up and get hyped when there’s no external motivator.

This is why, in my opinion, going to the gym with a buddy will always result in a more productive workout. And a more productive workout means you’ll progress quicker, and ultimately other aspects of your life will be more productive too.

The right gym buddy will motivate you and make you work harder, lift heavier, run faster etc. In return, you do the same for them. There’s always an element of competitiveness which is an extremely useful tool for effective progression.

Working out solo can be good if you are the type of person to motivate yourself, however your time in the gym can be wasted if you feel like you’re not getting anything worthwhile done. We’ve all been there. A bad attitude going into the gym will always result in a bad workout… and then an even worse day.

Friends can be good gym buddies but it is important that they are working towards the same thing as you, otherwise they will lose interest and drag you off track with them.

People can either inspire you or drain you. Pick wisely.

So, just remember, if you want to take your workouts to the next level, find a passionate gym buddy and motivate each other to constantly push further. This is how progress is made.