Stormzy’s UK Trainer TJ Ossai Shares One of His Go-To High Intensity Muscle Building Circuits
Our January cover star Stormzy undoubtedly looks the part – but looks alone don’t cut it when it comes to powering Big Mike’s energetic stage performances, including his iconic 90-minute Glastonbury set. No, for that, you need strength and stamina, in spades.
This workout from TJ Ossai – a champion sprinter and masterful coach whom Stormzy entrusts with his training when he’s in the UK – combines heart rate-spiking air bike efforts and posterior chain-pumping weights circuits to build size, strength and endurance in one hit, forging a physique that’s stronger for longer.
The Workout
After a thorough warm-up, raising your body temperature and ramping up your heart rate, you’ll get stuck into the main event. The workout is made up of 3 separate circuits; perform 3 rounds of each circuit before moving onto the next. Each circuit begins with an all-out 60-second sprint on the air bike, followed by 3 exercises. Once you’ve completed the third movement, catch your breath before hopping back on the bike.
Rest as necessary to keep your form tight and use weights that allow you to maintain safe technique, even as you fatigue.
If you don’t have access to an air bike, use a regular stationary bike, rowing machine or ski-erg.
Circuit 1 x 3 rounds
A1. 1-min max effort air bike sprint
Set up on the bike – your back should be straight and the saddle adjusted so you have a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of your cycle, and only the slightest bend in the arm at the end of each stroke. Try not to flail around, keep your breaths long and smooth for as long possible, and torso upright. Maintain a steady pace.
A2. Pull-ups - 15 reps
Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly over shoulder width apart. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely. Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of driving your elbows down into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
A3. Glute/hamstring bridges - 10 reps
Sit on the ground with a barbell over your legs. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, then lie so your back’s flat against a bench. Drive through your heels to lift the bar, focusing on tightening your glutes so your hips move straight up. Pause, then lower the weight under control.
A4. Standing single-arm dumbbell calf raises - 10 reps
Stand holding a dumbbell with the balls of your feet on a platform or stack of plates, letting your heels drop off the back, stretching your calves. Explosively press up onto the balls of your feet, flexing your calves, before slowly lowering back down to a full stretch. Repeat.
Circuit 2 x 3 rounds
B1. 1 min max effort air bike sprint
B2. Lat pull downs - 10 reps
Take a seat beneath a high resistance band or cable handle. Grip with both hands and manoeuvre backwards until you feel a stretch in your lats, arms fully stretched. Keeping your shoulders down and back, draw your elbows down towards the ground, squeezing your shoulder blades hard at the bottom. Slowly return to full stretch and repeat.
B3. Standing bicep curls - 10 reps
Stand tall with a barbell hanging at your waist, hands shoulder width apart, thumbs facing away from each other. Keep your torso still and upper arms pinned to your sides as you curl the bar upwards towards your chin. Squeeze here and slowly lower the bar under control until your arms are straight. Repeat.
B4. Staggered Romanian deadlifts - 10 reps
Hold a pair of dumbbells or a barbell at waist height. Step one foot back slightly, leaning your weight onto your front leg. Push your hips back, hinging downwards until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstring. Explosively hinge back upwards. Perform 5 reps on each leg.
Circuit 3 x 3 rounds
C1. 1 min max effort air bike sprint
C2. Dumbbell rows - 10 reps
Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides and hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor, dumbbells hanging at your shins. Maintaining a flat back, row both dumbbells towards your hips, squeeze here and lower under control to the start before repeating.
C3. Seated hammer curls- 10 reps
Sit on a bench with a pair of dumbbells at your sides, arms hanging fully stretched. With minimal momentum, flex at the elbows lifting both of your dumbbells upwards until your thumbs are near your shoulders. Squeeze here and lower the weights under control, repeat.
C4. Standing alternating bicep curls - 20 reps total
Finally, standing tall, grab a lighter set of dumbbells and perform alternating bicep curls. One arm at a time, curl your bell upwards, turning your wrist as you do until your little finger is below your chin, squeeze your bicep hard at the top before lowering to the starting position and switching arms. Perform 20 total reps.
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