How to Strengthen Body and Mind… with Irfan Ahmed

Why are most men there to train with you? What are their goals?

Most people want to lose body weight and gain muscle… but they only have an hour a day to get that done! So we need to create time-efficient workouts to get results. Understanding when to do cardio, nutrition, aerobic exercise and anaerobic/strength training is key – as is structuring your workout correctly to get best results. It’s about recognising what the individual needs from their training programme – and the challenge, for me, is identifying what works for each client.

What is the key to successful strength training?

When doing strength training you want to make sure you’re not depleted of glycogen before you start. If you’re fasting then strength training is not ideal – you want to be chasing performance in that one hour in the gym. Some think that the more calories they burn, the more body fat they lose – but then you don’t build muscle. The best way is to do 40 minutes of strength training, then cardio after that as you will be depleted of glycogen 40-50 minutes in. Your 20 minutes of cardio is when you’re burning the fat (an incline walk, time on the elliptical or slow jog is best). If you can sacrifice two hours… then we want to look at doing cardio and strength training in the same day, but at two different times. First thing in the morning, straight after your morning coffee, go for long inclined walk of 45 minutes – but not too intense because you don’t want it to negate your strength-training later. Then do your strength training at least 4 hours later, ideally in the evening, for one hour – and don’t rush. That way you can take long rest periods and chase performance goals.

What changes do men have to make to their training regimes as time goes by?

It depends. If, in their 60s, a man has been training for his entire life, then his training won’t be all that different to that of someone in his 30s (heavy weights, etc). But if they start as a new client in later life, their bone density will be a bit less – which means less overall strength and the joints will be more fragile. So, some exercises I’d avoid – like isolation exercises (e.g. bicep curl, leg extension) as these put a lot of pressure on one single joint. Instead, I would incorporate multi-joint exercises, whereby more muscles would come into play, therefore protecting the joints. They need strength in the joints, bones and fascia – but men’s mobility in later life is also often lacking, as a result of not having done much movement. For this reason, training thorough the full range of movement is hugely important – e.g. full deep squat where muscles fully elongate in the position, then up. Or chest press machine, making sure the weights are coming all the way down – so the muscle is being fully lengthened and shortened. We don’t add an external load until you can train through the full range.

Where does protein fit in – and which ones do you rate?

We want to trigger protein synthesis – so ideally, you’d have had protein prior to coming to the gym, maybe through a protein shake. You need to ingest protein post-workout if you haven’t had it prior. Whey protein is the fastest absorbing protein you can take – but if you’re whey intolerant there are a few different pea and vegan proteins you can take. Hydrolised whey protein is one step further in the development process of making whey – it’s super clean and fast absorbing. Dymatize ISO100. Best one out there. Look for hydrolised whey protein, avoid anything that says 70% protein and 30% something else… you want 95%-100%. Sugar content should be as low as possible, should be under 2g. Avoid protein bars, as these are usually full of additives and hidden sugars – and ready-made protein shakes, too. If you’re out and about, better to get some grilled chicken or egg pots.

Is nutrition something that your male clients struggle with?

Yes, some men starve themselves, they think it’s all about the calorie deficit – so they don’t eat all day then in the evening, they go over their allowance. In that fasting state, you often get home then you will eat whatever is in front of you at that point. Preparing good nutrition in advance is key… or at least having an idea of the ingredients you’re going to use when you do go to cook/eat.

What about alcohol – what are your tips for minimising the effects of an active social life?

Ideally my clients would not drink at all, but we also have to be realistic. I actually tell them that a glass of wine every day is not the best idea… I would rather you had more units in just one day. That’s because your white blood cells are needed to fight intoxication – and when they are doing so, your training becomes secondary. The body focuses on getting alcohol out of the system – 30-40% of training is lost if you’ve had a glass of wine the night before. I’d rather you have one bottle of wine at the weekend than drink every day! From a fat loss perspective, we want to look at clear spirits and low-sugar mixers.

Getting adequate rest, and managing cortisol, is also key in training… how do different types of training impact cortisol?

Cardio elevates your stress levels, your cortisol… and then it stays elevated. But with strength training, cortisol drops after the session. More “feel good factor” after strength training. Caffeine increases the production of cortisol in the body – which is why we don’t have coffee six hours before bed! But there are benefits of coffee before training – studies that tell us that an athlete needs to ingest 1mg of caffeine per pound of body weight for prior to exercise – however, I would restrict this to 0.5mg per pound of body weight for the normal gym-goer. After all, the athlete won’t be having coffee at any other point of the day – a professional boxer, for example, will save it for just before sparring and for that real burst of energy. Before a fight week, they taper off, so they become more sensitive to caffeine – then under the lights, 30 minutes before they get into the ring, they would take the caffeine in.

Fitness also supports emotional health. Do you see this in your clients?

100% – it helps with emotional health hugely. If someone is super fit but life isn’t going well at that point for them – they can still achieve a feel-good factor through fitness, and that’s quite powerful. When things feel like they’re out of your control, exercise can help – for example, when you’ve lost a job, a deal hasn’t gone through, or a relationship hasn’t worked out. And while my female clients always tell me what’s going on in their lives… men tend not to do the same; they keep their issues locked up. So, finding that release in the gym through training in a way is even more valuable. Women speak to their friends and family, whereas guys often don’t. At the end of the day, you have to listen to get best out of your athletes – and if I can help them mentally, then I can get more out of them in the gym.

You’re also a former professional boxer – is this something that your male clients benefit from, both physically and mentally?

Some will do boxing, maybe once per week. It’s a huge benefit for men – similarly to strength training, it’s anaerobic exercise; the same feel-good factor from weights comes into boxing too. But you have to be in the right headspace: when people are tense and angry, boxing is the worst thing they can do. You’d think it would be an outlet – but it doesn’t work that way. To the untrained eye, someone going hard on the pads looks brilliant, but it’s not good boxing – it’s stiff and it doesn’t flow. When you’re boxing, you need to be calm, not angry – if you’re angry, you’ll lose the fight. You have to be light and in control of your temper. In the ring, if I reacted impulsively, or with anger, I’d get punched again – so you need to react positively. However, done correctly, boxing can help people to realise that anger is detrimental. You see it in kids in tough neighbourhoods: they channel their energy very differently – it helps them with decision making, and it honestly can save lives. Some of the best champions in boxing grew up like this – it’s a form of rehabilitation. But it’s also mediative. In many ways, when you’re focused on boxing, you go into a free flow state and quite literally “roll with the punches”.

What are your thoughts on “wearables” and trackable devices – are they of value to your clients?

Yes, I always encourage them to wear something to track their step count and I wear a Whoop – it gives some great data on sleep, and helps my clients to become a bit more mindful about getting proper rest. They all go on the inBody composition test every two weeks, too – even if they’re not at their best, subconsciously, at the back of their heads, it keeps them accountable.

What are your tips for recovery? Are there any biohacking practices that you recommend?

The hyperbaric chamber, twice per week, is a great one. It’s great for injury recovery. I’m also a fan of old-school ice baths, for reducing inflammation – doing so releases anti-inflammatory growth factors, to increase healing.

Finally, supplements – what do you recommend to train better, but also support body and mind?

Taurine and L Carnitine – a lot of people use the latter for fat loss, but it’s also great for managing stress and anxiety. Zinc and magnesium are also both really important for men’s health, while ZMA increases free testosterone production while having an anti-ageing effect. Not forgetting creatine: it’s been used by athletes for many years – to help them lift more and be more explosive…. However, new studies show it also helps to prevent disease. The body produces it naturally, but 5mg per day is what I advise my clients to take.