BECOME A METHOD MAN

Upgrade your training tactics with model Frampton’s gym-free fitness philosophy

Male model, TEDX speaker and training pioneer, Roger Frampton is more than just a very pretty face. He claims his movement method changed his life. Now he wants to upgrade yours

UA: Some people have a plain old training plan. You have a method. Specifically, The Frampton Method (1). Can you describe it in a nutshell?

RF: It’s basically reverse engineering gymnastics. It’s about giving people who are frozen stiff the tools to move like they could when they were kids. In the fitness world muscles are referred to as levers – they literally propel the body. But it’s the other way around; the brain triggers movement in the body, and we move as a result. So my training is about different forms of movement. There’s no need for weights. Weights aren’t bad per se, but there’s so much that your body can do without them.

You had an epiphany of sorts, then?

Yes. Having been training in the gym, I went to a gymnastics class and saw a four-year-old girl doing a perfectly shaped bridge. I couldn’t even get off the floor. I thought: this is crazy, why can’t I do this? Then I began to wonder what I was like, physiologically speaking, as a child. And I did some research and found that all kids in general have this ability. I decided I wanted to get that back.

So you ditched the training gear and opted for a life in Lycra?

Well, not quite. But training my way means you have to think about what you wear. Your clothes can’t restrict you. You’re trying to stretch your body as far as it will go, so a tight pair of shorts won’t help. Something like Orlebar Brown’s Jack shorts (2) are good because they have that give in them. The rest is up to you, but going barefoot is a must.

We’re big fans of Orlebar Brown, but it’s the tailored fit that has always made them so attractive. How does that work with dynamic movements?

I’ve worked with OB for a long time and they’ve always been interested in being active as opposed to just lying on a sun lounger. What’s great about the Jack line is that they have enough flexibility for training but look slicker than most when you’re done sweating.

Is your method really unique?

I started training 14 years ago. Telling a PT you wanted to be a bit slimmer and train without weights was considered weird back then. Guys just wanted to get big. Now it’s a lot more common for men to focus on bodyweight exercises.

How long will it take for the average man to get somewhere approaching proficiency in your style of training?

It takes a few years, but only if you’re consistent with it. At the minute I spend over two hours a day simply stretching. As much as 90% of everything I do is stretching and my strength has gone through the roof because of it.

For someone with less time on their hands, where’s a good place to start?

You want to aim to be able to sit in a deep squat as a resting position. So get your arse to grass, feet forward and knees wider than your hips, for at least 10 minutes (3). It shouldn’t feel like work, it should feel like a rest.

You’ve made clear your aversion to resistance training, but what about running, cycling and HIIT work?

I avoid mindless cardio in favour of doing slow stretches where you become more conscious of what your body is doing. When you’re training slowly you feel the sensations much more acutely; if it feels weird you can correct it. So my advice is to slow down and think about where it hurts. The results will follow.