A couple of weeks ago while doing my groceries at the local supermarket, I bumped into a friend of mine. After a brief chat he glanced at a bottle on the shelf in front of him. The bottle read 'organic sunflower oil'. "What do you think about … [Read more...]
2018 Malta National IFBB Men’s Physique Champion
And here we are again, for the 4th year running, thankfully logging in another national title in the IFBB Men's Physique (up to 1m70) category. My 4 titles now belong to 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, with 2016 being the year during which I was happily … [Read more...]
Fitness: a Battlefield for Life
I consider fitness and sports as the best school of life. In fact athletics and fitness have been my daily battlefield for life while growing up, being very influential in shaping me up and making me the person I am today. This may sound cliché … [Read more...]
Healthy Lifestyle vs Crash Diet
A typical question we receive from our followers: I would like to loose 7 kilos in 5 weeks. The problem is that every Monday I start on a diet and typically only manage to last a few days, at most till Friday. Then the weekend comes, I go off … [Read more...]
General Macronutrient Split for Your Body Type
Body types are typically broadly classified under 3 categories; ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. You have probably already come across this 'body type' classification and what it represents goes way beyond aesthetics and body … [Read more...]
My Top 10 Tips for Living a Healthier and Happier Life
Here's what I find to be the top 10 things you can do to live a more happy and healthy life: 1. Exercise regularly and eat healthy every day. 2. Get enough sleep and make time for relaxation. 3. Pray often, in silence. 4. Be grateful for … [Read more...]
How to Do a Proper Warmup
Time for a Mirror Friendly Q&A QUESTION: How should I do a proper warmup? Should I stretch before or after my workout? Isn't it dangerous to skip stretching before a workout? ANSWER: In order to answer this question I will first list down … [Read more...]
How Important is the Timing of Food?
Time for a Mirror Friendly Q&A QUESTION: How important is the timing of food? How often should I eat? How much time should I allow between my meal and my workout? Isn't it bad to eat carbs at dinner time? ANSWER: From our experience to … [Read more...]
A Tip on Goal Setting and a Wish for 2018
As the New Year dawns, here is a tip on goal setting and a wish for 2018. Happy New Year dear friends! To fitness with love, Andrew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGIG09IpdEM … [Read more...]
Lean Bulk vs Shredding – The Training Aspect
When we compare a lean bulk to a shredding phase the absolute majority of times we focus on the nutrition aspect of things. In doing so we tend to oversee an important detail i.e. the training aspect. In this regard I have recently received a very … [Read more...]
The Health Benefits of Sauna
The sauna as we know it finds its origins in Finland and I was lucky enough to experience it first hand, having visited the country in different seasons. In this lovely northern country, the sauna is a way of life, with built-in saunas in almost … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Creatine for Athletes
Creatine must be one of the most effective natural supplements when it comes to muscle building, strength and athletics performance. Creatine is naturally produced in the body by the amino acids glycine and arginine. It is also found in … [Read more...]
Lean Bulk – How to Build Muscle Without Getting Fat
One of the FAQs in the fitness world relates to how to build muscle mass without getting fat. In the industry this is generally referred to as a “lean bulk”. To build muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus (eating more calories than you burn … [Read more...]
What is Repetition Tempo in Training?
There are various ways/protocols through which one can vary the intensity of a resistance workout, such as changing weight, number of sets or number of repetitions. One such protocol which is often overlooked is modifying the tempo of one specific … [Read more...]
Interviewed by Nova Malta
I've recently been interviewed by Nova Malta, the new portal promoting Maltese talent in sports, fashion and arts. In the interview I touch upon the topics of anti-doping, my goals, the important of nutrition and my progress in sports. You can … [Read more...]
What Keeps Me Motivated
Growing up I've learnt that the best things in life don’t come easy, rather they are only a consequence to consistent hard work. I’ve also experienced how the more effort you put into something over time, the bigger the reward. As soon as one becomes … [Read more...]
Mirror Friendly & Friends – From Anorexia to Healthy Living – Joanne Ellul Lanfranco
Some weeks ago while scrolling through my Facebook wall I was stunned by a clip featuring a physical transformation of a girl - at one point she looked extremely thin and pale, while years later she is now looking fit and radiant. Her name is Joanne … [Read more...]
How to Increase Your Strength – Part 5 (B) – Tips for Breaking your Deadlift Record
In our last article from the ‘How To Increase Your Strength’ series, presented by Damien Delahaye, a French powerlifter and trainer, we had unwrapped the third of the big lifts, the deadlift, and drilled down through its proper technique. I hope that … [Read more...]
The Benefits of BCAAs for Athletes
BCAAs - the last supplement I would do without and probably the one most researched. The term BCAAs stands for 'Branched Chain Amino Acids' and specifically refers to 'leucine', 'isoleucine' and 'valine'. Simply put, amino acids are broken down … [Read more...]
Mirror Friendly Turkey Patties
When it comes to protein-rich sources, the most commonly consumed food is chicken, hands down. Chicken here, chicken there, chicken everywhere. Mind you, am not saying anything against what still remains one of our long-standing staple on our … [Read more...]