8 Week Weight Loss, Lessons in lifting with Dr Squat

8 Week Weight Loss, Lessons in lifting with Dr Squat

By Neil Perkins

Last Monday, the state of my decondition was re-enforced, I did a session with ‘Dr Squat’, Nick Whiteman. Last week I was privy to sit in on a meeting with my newly formed S&C team which we will officially unveil in April. There were many things this dynamic trio looked to launch and when they offered for me to jump in with them as they ran through a group workshop to uniform teaching techniques, I was pleased. As a KBT trained lifter I looked forward to brushing up on my technique and getting a few pointers before starting my own lifting programme. I am aware that the goal of my nutrition plan is to control insulin levels and elevate growth hormone. Big compound movements that I’ll implement like squat and deadlift will not only boost my metabolism but elevate growth hormone and testosterone that will accelerate my fat burning – lifting weights is the key to fat loss.

I was aware that I was going to be bottom of the pecking order for this workshop. Nick Whiteman along with rugby has a strongman background. Hermione Plumtree is an elite level hurdler who lives in the gym and lifts daily. Anthony Rogan is a fitness guru who has diverse background and after many sports is now entering CrossFit competitions.  What I didn’t realise is that I wouldn’t even be able to start the race. My flexibility in my hamstrings is so bad that I am unable to deadlift and gain a ‘verticle shin’ position. Also, I am so quad dominant that I fail to fire my gluets in my squats, which is not only key to engaging my posterior chain but will long term affect my squat capability and risk me getting injured. I am starting with a bar only squat and concentrating on gluet engagement.

This has meant that I am at remedial level conditioning. I need to lift to get stronger, boost metabolism and elevate testosterone, but I can’t lift because my flexibility is so poor. I was an elite level boxer and boxing is one of the ultimate cross training sports. It requires aerobic capacity, anaerobic fitness, explosive strength, raw power and technique. My lack of flexibility means I can’t work on enhancing my explosive strength and raw power, this will drastically affect my ability to elevate testosterone– at least I still have good technique!

The good news is that flexibility is the one component of fitness that improves the quickest and we have an abundance of quality yoga studio’s in Birmingham and in April we have our own mobility class starting at Henrietta Street Gym. Yoga Haven is the next stop. Let’s get flexible, then strong and then lean.