Ollie Marchon is an Ambassador for Maximuscle (a sports nutrition and health supplements brand), as well as being the owner of Marchon. The latter specialises in coaching individuals through the 5 pillars of performance (training, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindset) to enable them to become the best versions of themselves. Buckle up – because Ollie is our guest star for today’s My Lockdown Workout.
How did you get into fitness?
I first got into fitness during my teenage years as a rugby player. At the time, mainstream fitness was nothing like it is today but it was immediately something that I knew I would go on to have a career in.
At a young age I was fortunate enough to be taught the benefits of looking after my body and building both strength and fitness for long term injury prevention, resilience and improved performance in my sport and life.
My training at the time was consistent yet far from optimal. But, with that said, in time and as I gained more exposure to better coaching which furthering my knowledge through reading and applying, I really began to accelerate my progress with both my physique, mindset and performance.
What is one of your favourite lockdown workouts?
My favourite lockdown workout is something we call the ‘Saturday Sermon’. It’s the final workout of the week whereby we look to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone to train the body and mind to adapt to elevated levels of physical stress.
It’s our final contribution to the weeks training before the recovery day on Sunday.
During Lockdown the Sermon has been bodyweight only and an example can be seen below.
Saturday Sermon. Part 1.
EMOM 6’ (Every Minute On The Minute for 6 minutes)
- Minute 1 – 10 Jump Squats + 5 Up downs
- Minute 2 – 10 jump lunges + 5 Up downs
- Rest 60s
If you can’t complete jump squats and lunges, regress to a body weight air squat and reverse lunge. Up/Downs can be completed chest to floor or to straight arms.
Saturday Sermon. Part 2.
Tabata 4’ (20s on, 20s off x 8)
- High knees
- Plank to push up
- Rest 60s
Alternate between the two exercises. If you can’t complete the plank to push up, hold a static high plank.
Saturday Sermon. Part 3.
AMRAP 6’ (As Many Rounds As Possible in 6 minutes)
- 2 step ups
- 2 bench dips
- 2 butterfly sit ups
Add 2 rounds to each exercise every round. When you hit 10 reps of each, come back down by 2 reps.
What’s your nutrition like when doing a lockdown workout?
My nutrition is fairly similar day to day. This helps me put good routines and structures in place to better serve my health and fitness goals.
About an hour before training I will have a bowl of oats with a banana and blueberries on top. During the workout I take regular sips of water and then within the hour post finishing I will make sure I get in my Maximuscle cyclone protein shake. I think it’s really important to top up on protein after a workout to maximise results.
Do you have any tips for those new to working out?
My top tip is to pick a style of training you enjoy as this is the best way to keep yourself motivated and to boost adherence. This will involve spending time experimenting with various forms of exercise so that each day you use the opportunity to make a daily deposit to your health and fitness.
My personal recommendation would be strength training as it really is the foundations for all sporting endeavours and a pain free life.
If strength is the goal, consider building your programme around the following movements:
- Squat
- Hinge
- Push (vertical/horizontal)
- Pull (vertical/horizontal)
- Loaded Carry
For more information on all of the above feel free to drop me a message on Instagram. You can find Ollie on Instagram at @olliemarchon.
