Oliver Bashforth BSc | CIMSPA Accredited Personal Trainer

Olly is a CIMSPA accredited personal trainer with a BSc degree in sport management from Solent University. He has over 10 years experience helping clients reach their health & fitness goals.

Best Strawberry Protein Powders

Quick links: Supplement Guides: Creatine | Pre-Workout | Fat Loss | Natural Testosterone Surprisingly, strawberry whey protein powder isn’t as popular as you might think in the supplement industry. That being said, if you’re looking to get all 9 of your essential amino acids, and some brilliant additional health benefits from added ingredients like vitamins …

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Best Lactose Free Protein Powders

Quick links: Supplement Guides: Creatine | Pre-Workout | Fat Loss | Natural Testosterone What is the best lactose free protein powder? Isopure – Best lactose free protein powder for weight loss Isopure lactose free whey isolate protein powder contains vitamin C, E and zinc, helping to boost the immune system. It’s Keto friendly and contains …

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6 Best Peanut Butter Protein Powders

Quick links: Supplement Guides: Creatine | Pre-Workout | Fat Loss | Natural Testosterone Why take whey protein powder? In short, whey protein contains all 9 amino acids that the body needs. Considering this, if you’re looking for a recovery protein powder, whey is probably for you. It will help reduce soreness by increasing muscle recovery …

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Creatine Gummies Guide: Reviews, Best Creatine Gummies & FAQs

Note: when we refer to creatine in this article we’re referring to creatine monohydrate, the most researched and used of all creatine formats. Skip to what you’re interested in: What are creatine gummies? Essentially, creatine gummies are creatine in gummy sweet format. This doesn’t mean they necessarily have added sugar, but the texture is similar …

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The 4 Keys To Naturally Increase Testosterone

Testosterone plays a key role in a number of important functions in your body and mind. Considering that Blackridge is primarily focused on fitness, it’s no surprise that we’re quite interested in the implications of testosterone and physical performance. However, there’s much more to this hormone than muscle mass. Overall wellbeing is very closely linked …

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Our Top 6 Supplements For Fat Loss

Striving towards your health goals is usually a multifaceted journey, requiring a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Yet, there’s a growing fascination with the role that supplements can play in accelerating this process. Our exploration will venture into the world of thermogenics, appetite suppressants, fat burners, and metabolism boosters. However, please bear in …

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The Best Cheap Creatine & Best Creatine For Bulking 2023

Quick links We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 creatine supplements based on their effectiveness and overall value. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a beginner, these supplements can help you take your performance to the next level. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the top 5 creatine supplements on the market today. …

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Top 5 Pre-Workout Supplements (2023)

Quick links: Why take pre-workout supplements? Pre-workout supplements can provide numerous benefits for individuals looking to enhance their workout performance. Firstly, they increase energy levels, helping you to push through tough workouts and maintain high levels of intensity. They can also improve focus and mental clarity, enabling you to stay on task and achieve your …

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Best Protein Powders For Recovery 2023 – Post Workout Protein

Quick links: Supplement Guides: Creatine | Pre-Workout | Fat Loss | Natural Testosterone Why take whey protein powder? In short, whey protein contains all 9 amino acids that the body needs. Considering this, if you’re looking for a recovery protein powder, whey is probably for you. It will help reduce soreness by increasing muscle recovery …

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Barbell Front Raise Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscle Worked, Drawbacks, Alternatives & More

Related Blackridge guides: plate front raise, cable y raise, clean and press, seated front raise, complete shoulder press guide Quick links – skip to what you’re interested in What is a barbell front raise? The barbell front raise is a challenging strength training exercise that targets primarily the anterior deltoids and upper chest. It is …

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Chest Supported Row Guide: How-To, Benefits, Drawbacks, Alternatives

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), pronated pulldown Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in So, what is a chest supported row? This exercise is a brilliant way …

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Cable Tricep Extension Guide: Form, Common Mistakes, Benefits & More

Related Blackridge guides: close grip bench press, smith machine bench press, does the bench press work the biceps? Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a cable tricep extension? It’s an exercise where we’re using the triceps muscle flex (or extend) the elbow joint using a cable machine. The interesting thing …

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Prone Trap Raise Guide: How-To, Benefits, Muscles, Alternatives & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back) Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a prone trap raise? The prone trap raise is a lying lower trap exercise …

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V Bar Lat Pulldown Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles Worked & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a v bar lat pulldown? Simply put, it’s a type of pulldown where we use …

V Bar Lat Pulldown Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles Worked & More Read More »

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Cable Rope Pullover Guide: Benefits, How-To, Alternatives & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a cable rope pullover? In short, it’s a brilliant standing cable …

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Pronated Pulldown Guide: Benefits, How-To, Grip Comparison, & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a pronated lat pulldown? Simply put, this exercise is a …

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Bench Squat Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles Worked, Mistakes & More

Related guides: burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a bench squat? A bench squat is extremely similar to a normal squat except we’re going to touch a bench with our glutes at the height where …

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Burpee Broad Jump Guide: How-To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, Alternatives & More

Related guides: bench squat, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a burpee broad jump? Simply put, it’s a variation of the burpee that replaces the upwards jump at the end with a forward jump. This slight change has …

Burpee Broad Jump Guide: How-To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, Alternatives & More Read More »

Plate Front Raise Guide: How-To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, Alternatives & More

Related guides: clean and press, seated front raise, shoulder press, cable y raise Table of contents: Skip to what you’re interested in With there being so many front delt exercises out there, why choose the plate front raise? There is a range of benefits that we’ll be covering. But first, let’s tackle how to do …

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Humble row guide: how-to, muscles worked, benefits, alternatives & more

Related Blackridge guides: helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is a humble row? The humble row is a form chest supported dumbbell row. If you’re …

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Helms Row Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles worked, Alternatives & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), pronated pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in This dumbbell row variation isn’t a household name but has a range of benefits that are …

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Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown Guide: How-to, Benefits, Alternatives & More

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), pull-ups (back), cable rope pullover (lats), chest supported row Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in So, what is a neutral grip lat pulldown? Neutral grip pulldowns are a …

Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown Guide: How-to, Benefits, Alternatives & More Read More »

Cable Y Raise Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles Worked & Alternatives

Related guides: clean and press, plate front raise, seated front raise, shoulder press Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in: The cable Y raise is a strength training exercise that targets the muscles in the shoulders and upper back. If you’re looking for a brilliant all-round shoulder exercise that can target all 3 …

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Goblet Lunge Guide: Reverse & Lateral Explained, How to & More

Related guides: bench squat, burpee broad jump, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in Front Goblet Lunge Lateral (side) Goblet Lunge Reverse Goblet Lunge Front Goblet lunge A goblet lunge is simply a normal lunge whilst using a goblet grip with a weight, …

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B Stance Hip Thrust Guide: How To, Benefits, Variations & More

Related guides: bench squat, burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in What is b stance hip thrust? The b stance hip thrust is exactly the same as a normal hip thrust barring one tweak with our feet. Instead of having both feet …

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V Squat Guide: How To, Muscles Worked, Alternatives & More

Related guides: bench squat, burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, b stance hip thrust Table of contents: skip to what you’re interested in The v squat, also known as the power squat, is a brilliant exercise for building quad strength whilst using the stability of the v squat machine. Whilst there are …

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5 Dumbbell Pullover Alternatives [2023]

Related Blackridge guides: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), pull-ups (back), close grip bench press, smith machine bench press, does the bench press work the biceps?, chest supported row Skip to what you’re interested in The dumbbell pullover is a great way to …

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Seated Front Raise Guide: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits & Alternatives

Related guides: clean and press, plate front raise, shoulder press, cable y raise The seated front raise is a brilliant way to build your front deltoid, but what makes this exercise special when there are so many exercises that offer similar muscle activation? We’ll be digging into this and much more. Use the navigation links …

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Close Grip Bench Press Muscles Worked, How To, Alternatives & Benefits

Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, smith-machine bench press, tate press Navigation links: skip to what you’re interested in Close Grip Bench Press Muscles Worked The close grip bench press is a compound exercise typically performed with a barbell. Unlike the traditional bench press, the close grip variation requires a narrower grip. This …

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Smith Machine Bench Press Guide: Is it Safe? Benefits, Drawbacks, Muscles Worked

Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, tate press, close grip bench press Skip to what you’re interested in: The smith machine bench press is a variation of the traditional bench press exercise that is performed using a special type of weightlifting equipment called a smith machine. This machine consists of a barbell that …

Smith Machine Bench Press Guide: Is it Safe? Benefits, Drawbacks, Muscles Worked Read More »

Tate Press Exercise Guide: How-to, Benefits, Muscles Worked & ore

Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, smith-machine bench press, close grip bench press Skip to what you’re interested in: How to do a Tate press Get into a similar position as you would with a bench press with a slight arch in the back. Ground your feet, engage your core and pull your …

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Kneeling Squat Guide: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits, Variations & More

Related guides: bench squat, burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust We all want strong, stable legs, and kneeling squats have a multiplicity of benefits that most people aren’t aware of. We’ve put together the complete guide on the exercise (and secret squat tip) to avoid injury and build …

Kneeling Squat Guide: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits, Variations & More Read More »

Shoulder Press Muscles Worked, How To Do A Shoulder Press, Benefits & More

Related Blackridge guides: seated front delt raise, plate front delt raise, clean and press Quick Links – skip to what you’re interested in: The shoulder press is a great exercise for building muscle and strength of the shoulders, as well as improving the shape of the upper body in general. Having a strong and muscular …

Shoulder Press Muscles Worked, How To Do A Shoulder Press, Benefits & More Read More »

Pull Up Guide: Pull Ups Muscles Worked, Benefits & How to do a pull up

Related Blackridge blogs: humble row (upper back), helms row (lats), pronated pulldown (lats), neutral grip pulldown (lats), V bar pulldown (lats), 5 dumbbell pullover alternatives (lats + chest), chest supported row Quick links – Skip to what you’re interested in: Pull ups are a must-have in your routine, period. They provide a huge range of …

Pull Up Guide: Pull Ups Muscles Worked, Benefits & How to do a pull up Read More »

Reverse Lunges Muscles Worked

Related guides: bench squat, burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, v squat, b stance hip thrust Quick Links – skip to what you’re interested in: Reverse Lunges Muscles Worked The lunge is an excellent exercise. The main muscles targeted during a lunge are the Glutes, and Quadriceps, however, considering the staggered stance you will …

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