How or why did you start your journey into body building?
I started body building due to a rugby injury in 1991 aged 21. I played rugby for my local area team, East Leeds, then Leeds and District which led to Yorkshire and then on to play a couple of games for Leeds RL A team and Wakefield Trinity A team.
Unfortunately my career came to an end when I had a bad injury in my lower back.
During my recovery my brother Darren was competing at high level body building for the EFBB (UKBFF), so to aid my recovery i thought if my brother can do this, so can I! I had my first experience of a proper gym “Bodies”, Mabgate, Leeds, where I loved it.
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What’s a typical training split for you at the moment?
If you want to call it a split I do a straight 4 days on and 3 off. Mon-Thu training days, Fri-Sun non training but still with cardio. It is hard but one you get used to it, it does become easier, which in turn, gives me a much better home life with the wife.
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Out of everything you have tried what one factor has contributed to the most muscle growth ?
Consistency, it has to be done, 7 days a week, 24/7.
Consistency, really is everything without striving to achieve a more consistent approach each time I prep how can I know what to take out or what to put into the diet or the training every time I evaluate my results?
I am meticulous in every aspect of my prep and with the support of my long suffering wife ( who cooks/preps my meals) each and every gram is weighed out for every single meal.
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With millions of diet trends at the moment what would you advise someone seeking your level of condition?
It is about finding your own sweet spot, as we call it. Calculating the correct carb intake to the cardio outtake so that you get your body revving and fuelled to keep it happy.
The happier the body the better the response and equals better growth
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One aspect of prep many fail on is creating the right balance between family life and gym life. How have you overcome this?
Fortunately for me, Louise my wife, is as crazy as I am . She runs marathons, runs a netball team and also plays hockey for Skipton Ladies. We both have the same views and try to keep our training days the same, sharing meal prepping, so any spare time we can create, usually Friday and Sundays, we keep for US time. Sometimes on these days we go to the gym together. BONUS!
Typical days diet look like ?All uncooked weights
7.30 am 100g oats,2 scoops whey, 1 banana, water
11.00 am 100g brown rice, broccoli, green beans, 230g turkey, 1 boiled egg
2.00pm as per 11 am
Post workout (6pm) 2scoops pro recovery, 1 banana
7.00pm 500g potato,250g steak, huge salad
9.00pm same as 7.30am
4/5 litres of water per day with BCCAs
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Cardio, HIIT or steady state and why?HIIT for sure as I don’t see the benefit of totally killing the muscle with excessive repetitions, when you can do it with a heavier weight, using good form in much less time .
Stimulate not annihilate!
Remember we only go to the gym to break down the fibre so then it can be natured and fuelled back to recovery.
Recovery is very important and is the missing link in many individuals prep either pre contest or offseason.
Remember we are body builders 365 days a year not just 3 months prep season!
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What has been the most difficult aspect of prep and why, mental aspect or physical?
Prep this year has been a dream, as I have had things going really well. Diet, cardio and at a whole a good work life balance. No stresses thanks to the people around me, but …. in previous years when I have, as everyone knows, messed up days before the show, that is frustrating. For some reason the closer I was getting to show date i seemed to want to start changing things, but my advice to anyone if you have worked hard and you are looking the best you have, stick with it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. This is where my good friend and coach, John Hodgson; and wife Louise, have kept me on the straight and narrow.
As far as the physical side, I love it. Up at 5.30 on my village life cardio to last thing 45mins speadwalk on the treadmill. Mental side, I just try to keep things simple
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Next prep, what if anything will you change and why?These days everyday is now a prep day. Up, cardio, eat, train, cardio, bed. Repeat!
Just making small carb and cario adjustments along the way.
In 2016 me and Louise made a pledge, that we will have a 3year plan, as thats the number of years I had left in the Masters.
1st year – show time – 7 shows, 7 trial runs
2nd & 3rd year -hopefully get the right formula, stick to it and let the games begin!
photos provided by photo-flex.co.uk
