The Snatch is one of the Olympic Weight Lifting movements and is in my opinion the most technical single move that you can perform with a barbell. It is built on the foundations of the overhead squat and although it can be taught safely to beginners with the right instruction, I’ve marked this as an advanced exercise as you should have some level of strength and experience with resistance training before giving it a go.

​If you are thinking about getting started with weight training but really have no idea where to begin then this article should be your starting point. You’ll learn everything from its role and benefits to how to get started right now.

As the Scottish Government unveils it's 4 phase approach to lifting lock-down restrictions, it looks like gyms and the leisure industry will be the hardest hit. 

Will we be allowed back into our beloved gyms before the end of the year?

:With the current situation surround Covid-19, many regular gym goers have built makeshift home gyms are embracing home workouts with minimal equipment.

Will this enthusiasm last and will the home gyms become a hanger for clothes, disused as we slowly transition back to normal?
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From my discussions with many of my current personal training clients, I’ve discovered a few key themes:

​If you are currently looking for a personal trainer in Glasgow yet are confused by so many offerings and different prices, then this page is for you.

The front squat is a great choice for your squat pattern if you are thinking about implementing weightlifting into your program or have athletic performance as your primary goal. It places greater demand on the trunk as the load is stacked directly on top of you rather than behind forcing the abs and quads to work a little harder than a standard back squat. It’s important to make sure you have the required mobility through the shoulder joint in order to effectively support the weight in the front rack without putting strain on any of the smaller joints. 

​The Dumbbell Bench Press is a great upper body pushing exercise. It is normally allows for a greater ROM than a standard barbell flat bench press and is a good way to get extra volume through the pecs, shoulders and triceps. If you are trying to improve your press-ups or dips then this movement will help! When bench isn’t necessarily a priority movement, I prefer to utilise the DB Bench Press as it is easier to set up, works your arms independently and through a greater ROM and can more easily be super-setted with other exercises to increase training density.

The seated box jump is a variation of regular box jump with some subtle differences and unique benefits. Normally we are able to generate less power from a dead stop and so you should expect to jump higher during a regular box jump than from seated. It is quite safe for most who are able to box jump. Here are a few reasons why you might opt for it. The seated box jump closely replicates the start position for a snatch and for a clean. It is also useful for developing ‘Starting Strength and Power’ as it takes away the stretch reflex beforehand to store energy. This is useful for generating force from a dead stop such as when accelerating during any team sport or weightlifting. 

The Incline Dumbbell Press is a great upper body pushing exercise. It is like a hybrid of a seated upright overhead press and a flat bench press and allows you to work the shoulders, chest and triceps all at the same time. Generally I don’t program this movement as a staple but it is useful when you have hit all of the other bases and want to get some extra work or variation within your routine. It can also be used as an alternative to overhead lifting to re-train the shoulder when coming back from injury.

​The standing dumbbell press is a fairly simple exercise but unless you have good stability in your core and range overhead then it is an easy one to do wrong. Make sure you are able to keep a strong and neutral spine while lifting overhead, avoiding any leaning back or compensations for poor overhead mobility. If you are able to keep your core stable throughout then the standing dumbbell overhead press is great addition to your routine for overhead strength and to building muscle in the shoulders and triceps.