There’s an underground society in fitness that few know about. This close-knit group calls themselves the “Fitness Cartel,” they guard the secrets to truly elite-level physical preparation. I was fortunate enough to train among these hyper-competitive athletes and coaches to uncover their methods. What I learned shocked me with both its simplicity and effectiveness.
Selecting the Right Modalities
The Cartel has identified a few key training modalities that produce unmatched results when programmed correctly. These include:
Powerlifting
Powerlifting remains the backbone of the Cartel’s strength program. They cycle heavy loads to continually progress on the big three lifts – squat, bench press, and deadlift. This builds a rock-solid strength foundation upon which all else depends.
The key is auto-regulation. Sets and reps may be prescribed, but the load is adjusted based on readiness. This prevents stagnation and overuse injuries. It took me a while to swallow my ego and lighten the bar when needed. But my best sessions came after backing off for recovery.
Strongman Events
While powerlifting develops raw force production, strongman training teaches you to apply that force. Pushing, pulling, carrying, holding – strongman activities mimic real-world demands.
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Strongman Events
While powerlifting develops raw force production, strongman training teaches you to apply that force. Pushing, pulling, carrying, holding – strongman activities mimic real-world demands.
The Cartel programs these frequently, like carrying sandbags and farmers’ walks, to improve grip strength and work capacity. They even built homemade yokes and kegs to hoist onto their shoulders. It was humbling at first. However, the functional transfer to everyday activity was undeniable.
Optimising Recovery
Elite training imposes tremendous demands on the body. The Cartel emphasizes active rest and restoration to offset this stress.
Soft Tissue Work
Simple self-massage goes a long way. The Cartel swears by lacrosse and yoga balls for self-myofascial release. Foam rollers, massage sticks, and peanut lacrosse balls also appear regularly.
They typically target tight areas like the pecs, lats, hips, and calves daily to maintain healthy soft tissue. This allows for maximizing training frequency and intensity without burning out or injury.
Cardiovascular Activity
Hard training requires hard recovery. The Cartel performs lower-intensity cardio like cycling, swimming, rowing, and incline walking nearly daily.
These activities enhance blood flow to transport nutrients and spur tissue repair. They also expand work capacity, allowing you to handle heavier training loads over time.
You’d never guess these athletes grind heavyweights based on their recovery habits. But that’s their secret – managing work and restoration.
Nutrition Fundamentals
The Cartel’s nutritional strategy includes familiar staples for anyone focused on strength and physique enhancement. But as with training, it’s the nuances that make the difference.
Protein Intake
One gram per pound of body weight offers a rough protein target. But the Cartel fine-tunes this based on individual rates of recovery and digestion. Those struggling to recover between sessions may increase protein temporarily while keeping fats lower.
Whey, casein, egg, and meat-based proteins help optimize muscle repair and restoration after intense training. They time ingest faster and slower digesting proteins appropriately around workouts to supply amino acids when cells are primed to utilize them.
Carb Manipulation
The Cartel predominantly trains in lower rep ranges, making carbohydrates less essential than for endurance athletics. But they periodize higher volume phases focused on metabolic stress and pump, strategically increasing carbs to fuel these demands.
Carb intake ramps around more brutal training blocks or competitions to ensure adequate glycogen storage. The rest of the year, they bias protein and fat for strength, body composition, and hormonal balance.
Liquid Calories
Shakes and smoothies regularly appear, including homemade mass gainers blending various protein sources, frozen fruit, nut butter, and coconut milk.
But the Cartel avoids liquid calories around full meals. They’d rather eat whole foods with fiber and chewing resistance to ensure gastric emptying and satiation. Before or after a meal, liquids provide easy calories.
Progress Over Perfection
I arrived expecting cutting-edge techniques and complex periodization from the Cartel. But what stuck out most was simplicity and consistency. They’ve built a lifestyle by making small, daily progress, lifting weights, and eating to support performance.
The results speak for themselves – personal records continue to fall as the Cartel expands its capabilities. And it’s contagious, inspiring newcomers like myself eager to adopt their principles and work ethic. This fitness cartel in tweed has built an environment pushing people to maximize their physical potential through sound training, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies. Their attitude forces you to raise your standards – to expect more from yourself daily in the gym.
