Six sets of 6 – article compiled by Michael Phillips
Compare your first ever contest and how you trained and prepped for that memorable competitive debut to what got you into top shape for your last contest? What were the big differences? What mistakes did you make then that you wouldn’t make now? Do you feel that you have mastered the art of getting into your top shape now, as opposed to the first time, when possibly there was some trial and error involved?
You could probably say not taking nutrition seriously and listening to too many voices in the beginning were the mistakes I made. It’s only yourself that knows how you feel and it's only you that can learn how your body responds to certain things in time. I'm not saying don't listen to anyone but be sure it's top advice from someone who has been there and done it. I still listen to those as mentioned in the INBF Worlds report, no names mentioned, if you've read it you’ll know whose advice I took.
Although I'm writing this as a British champion, I still feel I have not mastered everything about my diet or the way I train. I'm not sure whether it's just me but I think a good bodybuilder is never happy with the way he/she looks; I know my weak points and I always feel there’s room for loads of improvement.
· My style of training
· Adding cardio into my pre-contest preparation
· My diet
With bodybuilding being a very selfish sport at times I’m afraid I am not going to give away all my secrets as I may be stood next to someone on stage reading this in the future...sorry!!!
ANDY - Even though I have won two NPA British Masters titles, I am a relative newcomer to the sport of Natural Bodybuilding. My first competition at the tender age of 42 was the 2006 NPA Heart of England where I came 3rd in the Novices, but to my delight won the award of best first-timer and a ticket to the British Championships in my first year. The last competition I entered was the recent 2009 NPA British Championships, in which I managed to retain my Masters title against some tough competition. The difference in preparation from my first and last competition was in conditioning and diet preparation; in my first competition I only dieted down 6 weeks out from competition day, I now diet down 12 weeks out, progressively cutting down total calories while maintaining my protein intake and progressively increasing cardio sessions. In the early days, I made the fatal mistake of cutting down carbohydrates and fats to such a low level that it affected my training, and slowed down my metabolic rate to a level which prevented fat loss to the levels I am accustomed to now. In 2006 I did not respect the importance of leg training and how to train legs effectively. Since I have always enjoyed power-lifting, I was only concerned with how much weight I managed to move and not the quality of the exercise; I now endorse a medium weight with controlled methods of training. I now hit my legs from all angles at a high intensity to ensure separation as well as muscle thickness. In the final phase of competition preparation for my first competition I made the mistake of taking protein drinks right up to competition day, all be it in smaller quantities, my fluid intake was still too much; I now follow a sodium load and depletion for the last 48 hours of a competition to ensure I am as tight as I can be and still ensure that I am eating every 3 hours, keeping my metabolic rate as high as possible by carb loading for the last 24 hours, right up to competition day. I still believe I can make improvements in getting into top shape, like all bodybuilders, I want to put on more mass and still lose the body fat to get into the shape of my life, you can read as many articles on diet and final phase preparation as you like, but you must find out what works for you, by recording your total calorie intake, to include protein, carbs and fat breakdown before each competition - you will eventually find the formula which suits you.
IAN - My first competition was an U-18 EFBB Yorkshire Championships in my hometown of Bridlington, I was 16. I had done a gym show the week before and won that in the Junior section. To be honest I did nothing special for that show at all. I was lean and found it hard to gain weight and was drinking up to 7 pints of milk a day, so all I did was drop the milk for a week and I had abs - lol. In those days there were not that many huge kids about and my little shape and good posing won the show for me. I was on my way ha-ha.
Those days I trained a hell of a lot and often trained every day, sometimes doing a double split. I was working a normal job and also part time in the gym, mornings and evenings. I would train before work and after. My energy was boundless and it still is today. I lived on my own and had provided for myself from the age of 15, so money was an issue in feeding myself. It was the basics all the way; cheap, basic, healthy foods; milk, eggs, bread, fish, oats, vegetables. I was so active that I could be lean all the time and every pound I gained was of prime beef! The workout programs I did, although extreme, I did recover from--and that is the key, recovery. I lived on my own, I was very young, I had no stress, no-one to be accountable for but myself. I also had the goal and desire that never wavered one iota that I was one day going to make a living from this sport. So I gained. I had one of the worst starting points at 14-15 years of age in that I weighed only 6.5 stone at the height I am now, 5ft 4in. I won the Yorkshire U-18's at around 9.5 stone.
Years later a good weight for me is a very lean 11.5 stone.
My last time on-stage, blimey, some 28 years later, was my guest posing at the 2009 NPA Yorkshire. Now I make my living from my sport and have done for 24 years.
My diet is essentially the same basic fare as all those years ago; I eat for health and the bodybuilding takes care of itself. I train to my recovery, I listen to my body, train hard when the time is right and hold back when other things load me up. I still feel like that kid, I still love it, still love every day.
JAY – My main difference is of my dieting time period, first time around I hit a strict 8 week regime, and more recently this more than doubled to an 18 week diet. I believe that this method of diet sustains more muscle tissue and strength and allows a more flexible approach to adapt the diet where necessary depending on the body’s condition. However I feel that the diet cannot be mirrored exactly for each show, the body’s ability to adapt dictates that subtle changes are unavoidable. Although I have an increased knowledge now of getting into shape as opposed to the first time around, I do still feel that huge improvements can be made, both within the diet and immediately pre-show! I have by no means got the diet to perfection!
NEIL - My first contest was the ANB Yorkshire in 2000 and it was my easiest diet ever! I dieted for 8 weeks, trained 4 days a week, did cardio on the other 3, and came in at 11st 12lbs. I learnt so much about nutrition for that show; previously I’d be eating maybe 4 meals a day and not weighing my food. After I’d read all the diet articles in the magazines I had collected, I wrote my first diet sticking to 6 meals a day, 1 every 2-3 hours and weighing my food. After the first week I’d gained 2lbs but stuck to the plan, the second week I lost 3lbs and either 2 / 3lbs for the other 6. Every diet after that has been harder and harder as I’ve tried to improve my condition for each show. My last diet was for the Mike Williams Classic and NPA Britain Finals in 2008; I dieted for 20 weeks in total and achieved my best condition yet. I was still eating 6 meals a day, sometimes more, but doing a lot more cardio. Hopefully, with what I learned from that diet, the next one will be a bit easier and produce a better result, after 10 years of competing I’m still learning.
http://ian-ducketts-bodyindesign.socialgo.com
I personally think if you’re looking to gain muscle tackle your nutrition first, speak to someone who you can trust who has great knowledge. Then comes your training, you will get stronger and develop a great physique but it takes time, don't think its going to happen overnight. I first started lifting weight aged 16, and I'm now 33!
Q3 – This question I asked of Mark Oakes last year, and one I just have to ask again because I think it will be fascinating to see in which order you all put these factors in regarding their importance in building a great physique: Training, Nutrition, Genetics, Rest and recuperation, Willpower and determination.
In what order would you place these factors (and maybe other factors you wish to mention) in terms of what is needed to build a great physique, and why place them in the order you have?
First I would say willpower and determination as without those the others will not fall into place. Here's how this works; you could have the worst diet with a bad training style and still make gains, not awesome gains but you still will improve through sheer will and work ethic. As you become more advanced and you understand nutrition, you learn how to workout for gains for you, your gains will sky rocket as the deep ingrained determination is forever burning. If I ever bet on anyone, I always bet on the under-dog with grit, because sooner or later they do come out on top.
The under-dog has the tenacity to keep getting up and moving forward for very little reward. Others with better genetics, that do not have to work as hard for a goal, never value it as much when they do get to the top, and in my experience they give up at the first knock down. I have always been an under-dog; someone once said to me "for a little dog you have a ton of fight in you" - I never give up.
Next I would have training, as if you give your all to that and work hard, you will gain even on the worse program in the world. Your body will build tissue from fat stores and skittles sweets and mars bars lol, if it is forced too, not ideal, but it will.
I would have nutrition next as it aids recovery, the better you eat the better you recover, the fewer toxins you take in, the fewer toxins the body has to deal with overcoming a hard workout, it only has half a job to do. Your energy levels will be high on clean foods and therefore you do not tire from the hard work in the gym as much as you would with a poor diet.
Rest and recovery last but not least. This I have last as I feel your body will stop you from over-doing things in one shape or form. For instance it will drop fatigue on you to stop you doing too much. You will sleep at the drop of a hat if your body needs it, so I am saying most people are in a mild state of stress at all times--you do in time know your levels. Many trainers concentrate so much on not over training, they never train bloody hard enough! They seem to forget that the body needs to be given something to change for. You can not do that by pussy-footing around.
I would throw genetics right out of the mix here as you can not do anything about them. I have seen guys with everything but they don't get the condition. Some people build muscle easy, but they are not blessed with a good metabolism. Its swings and roundabouts. You are stuck with what you have and you don't know what you have till you put the other things in place.
So to round this up. You need a will of iron, to keep on getting up. You need to train hard and stress your system to change. You need to eat clean to allow your body to deal with fewer toxins. You need to pull back when the feeling is just not there, live to fight another day, step back re-assess and move on.
The trick is to do right by all of them then you get 100 % from your efforts over the whole base of the above - you will gain without one or the other but not as good as you could.
2- Training
3- Nutrition
4- Genetics
5- Rest & Recuperation
1- Willpower and determination
5- Rest and Recuperation
Listen to your body
I have seen weight trainers in my gym adopt the most strange, weird and wonderful training schedules, but if they have the willpower and determination to train hard day in, day out, totally focused, they still will achieve creditable results. I work as a gym instructor in a local prison, the inmates only receive the basic recommended diet for an average person, not the diet of a bodybuilder but still have achieved excellent results. The difference between a successful bodybuilder and the average weight trainer is that the bodybuilder will train hard on his bad days as well as his good days; he/she will ensure that every muscle group is targeted, week in, week out. You can have the best training schedules and the best nutrition but if you do not have the will power and determination to ensure every muscle group is worked to overload to ensure maximum muscle gains you will only make small improvements and nothing else. Your training routines are important, continuously analysing what exercises to incorporate in your weekly programme are paramount in achieving your goals, we all have a weakness, work on them; if your upper chest has no development, hit the incline bench hard to encourage growth in that area. Continuously change exercise order, continuously change working sets and reps to shock the muscles into action, there is no, one, written in stone workout or magic formula. Ensure exercises are carried out under control to full range of movement, both on the negative and the positive phase of each rep; concentrate on overloading the fibres of muscles being used, total weight lifted is relatively unimportant. The more successful you become, the more you realise the importance of nutrition. My out of season diet is now just as important as what I eat 12 weeks out from competition. When training for growth out of season, it is so important to receive the right nutrients for your weight and size, ensuring the weight you put on is muscle and not fat. The last 12 weeks are about sculpturing your physique from the growth gains you have made in the off season. I agree with Mark Oakes, genetics plays only a small part in bodybuilding, it might be the deciding factor of who is first or second in any given competition, my lat spread is naturally quite narrow, so I train for back thickness to take the emphasis away from my lack of width, but it is the overall package that counts. Even though rest and recuperation are last on my list, they are still important, as we all know this is the window of opportunity for the muscles to grow. I always allow a rest day before my Quads workout, due to the high intensity of this workout. I have an easy active rest day, hitting hamstrings and abs the day before my Back routine. I ensure the big muscle groups are hit hard at the start of the week, when you are at your strongest and the smaller muscle groups are targeted towards the end of the week. I would add one other factor to the above list and that would be ‘Listen to your body’. We all follow various training programmes and systems of training but I always judge what routine I am going to carry out by my body’s reaction to my warm up sets. If I feel strong and free from injury I will push myself to my absolute maximum, if on the other hand I am a little tired and lethargic I’ll drop the weight and complete more sets in good form. Like everyone else I have an objective for every session I carry out, but it all comes down to how my body feels on the day of that session, this prevents the potential of soft tissue injury but I also make serious gains when my body is working at full potential.
2 - Rest & recuperation I would put next, I mean you can't really train to your full potential if you’re feeling tired, it could also lead to injury, but that's just my opinion.
3 - Training next. I personally think with the above two in place you can enjoy your workouts more and obviously have greater gains in size and strength.
4 - Willpower & determination; the drive to get you through the dieting to achieve your goals.
5 – Genetics. Some people may have this higher but I've seen people win contests with poor genetics but incredible condition.
Like I mentioned in Question 2, having good genetics is/can be a good advantage but not the be all and end all. So that taken out of the equation I would put the following in order and my reasons for this:-
Take Dorian Yates like I mentioned in Q1. In his era of competing there were some awesome guys, many of whom had fantastic genetics on their side (which he openly admits) but did not have the same focus, desire and attitude that he did and so the results spoke for themselves!!
The person has to be focused and determined but must also have the willpower to be able to push when he ‘feels’ like giving up or giving in to temptation.
Now, I don’t pretend to be a hermit who eats, sleeps and breathes it as I am a normal guy who likes the nice things in life, going out/socialising, having a drink, nice meals etc…but one thing I am, is consistent, week in, week out, with my training and eating and when pre-contest starts THAT’S IT, 100% focused on what I must do and that includes all the factors involved for that up and coming show!
Training is very important as the amount of quality time you put in the gym off-season will show once all the fat and water has been stripped away. Maximise the time in there to its potential (no chatting and catching up on last weekend/football etc…).
Hard graft and more hard graft!!
How many people do you see in the gym night after night for two hours at a time training chest and arms two three times a week?? Have these people just stopped and thought:-
If I was training properly and hard enough would I really need to be doing the same thing two/three times a week??
Say I was training correctly how will my muscles recover properly and ever grow if I’m not allowing then sufficient time to recover or grow??
A phrase I once read by Lee Haney was “Stimulate not annihilate!!!”
Diet/nutrition is very important even more so at particular points in a bodybuilders regime/routine.
Personally I eat a healthy balanced diet most of the year round/off-season, and generally my rule is to eat healthy Monday to Saturday and then allow myself to enjoy a bit of what I want Saturday evening and Sunday as I like; I mentioned earlier I am a normal guy who likes the nice things in life!!
So again there is consistency to my eating as well as my training and rest. Supplements are important too, but they are what they are, ‘supplements’, and they are not to replace your diet/solid foods.
It’s important to me for my body to be getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals from a wide variety of food sources. I have a very fast metabolism and have learnt over time what my body needs to sustain it at the levels I want it to be at.
You will recall in Question 1 I mentioned I have now introduced cardio into my pre-contest prep, something I did nothing of in 2007 and have learnt that this works better for me as it enables me to keep my food intake higher.
Once a pre-contest phase begins then that’s when diet and nutrition really come into play to achieve the look required for a competition.
Q4 – Why stay Natural? We all know there are two sides to competitive bodybuilding; there are Natural contests, that are drug tested, and there are the contests that aren’t drug tested, with the competitors taking anything to make them bigger, better, and harder. This isn’t a question aimed at knocking the other associations (who are far bigger than the NPA) who don’t test, and it’s quite obvious to anyone within the sport that to compete in other associations you have to take gear if you want to be competitive. I just want to ask why some of our finest Champions choose to stay Natural. Why have you never made ‘that’ move? Have you ever considered it, how close did you come to going over to the ‘dark side’, and what held you back?
STEVE - I consider my health, I also enjoy other sports, however I think if everyone is honest this will have crossed a lot of people's minds. We are all doing the same thing and trying to push our bodies to the limit in gaining size and strength to look better then the person next to you. It’s not a bad thing, each to their own, we all still train extremely hard to achieve whatever your goals in life. People should understand "gear" doesn't work on its own, although with all this comes back to expense, and I'm too tight-fisted!
IAN - That's easy for me to answer as from a very young age I was always concerned about health, a bit odd for a young kid I know. I was never into drinking and have never smoked, my Dad one year at Christmas gave me a cigar and a whisky, I went green, that was his way of doing things and it worked. Growing up in Bridlington, being a little behind big cities, I was sheltered from the drug scene and was very naive to the fact that the pro bodybuilders took drugs.
So when I was old enough to understand I was already doing well in shows; I liked the fact I was different, I had no intention of taking ‘it’. The gym I trained in had a few big lads, door-men who took gear, they would openly chat about it, to me all that did was make me turn my back on all of that scene even more. Like I said I wanted to be different, I knew I was never going to be big, my frame would not hold the mass, so what would be the point? I would just be another number in the mix.
A few years went by and I did ok in shows against guys on drugs - I then found the natural scene and noted my stand against drugs had been well worth it, now I could compete against like-minded athletes. Don't get me wrong, I believe everyone has a choice, their own choice in whatever they choose to do, and I never look down my nose at anybody who does drugs, I have never done that. I have had many training partners in the past who did the other shows and took it gear, I respected them and they respected me. Each to their own. So I can honestly say I have never once given it a thought, I just do my thing.
WAYNE - For me personally, it’s a very simple question to answer with no grey areas. The reason being is that I have never been interested in taking performance enhancing drugs...period!! Don’t get me wrong, when I was a young kid my favourite character was The Incredible Hulk, my Dad used to take me to Leeds Market every weekend to buy the Hulk comic and I used to sit and watch Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk religiously!!
I also loved Arnold in his early action movies Conan, Commando etc…and honestly used to think “WOW” I want to be like them one day!! I pestered my parents and got my first set of weights at the age of 13 and that’s where the bug began!!! Those guys were my heroes (so to speak) back then and their physiques were and are still to me personally far more pleasing on the eye than the ones of today. Over the years I grew up and learned more and more about bodybuilding and what would be involved if I wanted to be like Arnold or Lou.
I played football to the age of 18 and then rugby league to 21 and my gym training was based around my sport at that time.
Only probably over the last 5 years has my training been focused towards Bodybuilding with my first competition in 2007.
I have achieved great things so far, in a short period of time, and am really proud of how I have achieved what I have, as are my number one supporters, my Mum and Dad. I also know that they would be disappointed somewhat if I did choose to go down other routes mainly as there are obvious health risks involved.
So, to me, that just confirms that whilst I could maybe look like my hero on the outside it isn’t worth the risk of what detrimental effects it may have on my insides, and those closest to me.
ANDY - Natural bodybuilding promotes a healthy lifestyle, ensuring a nutritional healthy diet is adhered to, training effectively avoiding serious injury, without the use of performance enhancing drugs, to achieve a natural, muscular, conditioned physique. To succeed at reaching a competitive, winning condition, cardiovascular training has to be adhered to in order to lose body fat, especially in the last 12 weeks before a competition. The top bodybuilders stay in reasonable shape throughout the year from following a structured weight training programme, good nutrition and cardiovascular training, non drug tested competitors tend to use numerous drugs and limited cardiovascular training to achieve their competitive weight. I’m not knocking it but I would not like to put my health at risk for the sake of an extra few pounds of muscle. When you hear of the many bodybuilders, wrestlers and strongmen who are no longer with us due to heart attacks, strokes and liver disease due to misuse of steroids, you must ask yourself, “Is it worth It?” At the age of 46 I am still training hard, gains are small but I believe I still can improve by keeping it natural, I have never considered taking steroids, and I value my mental and physical health too much.
JAY - I have never considered it.
I don’t train just to develop a physique, I train to be healthy. In addition to this, it is a challenge to see how much I can develop my physique and strength without the use of performance enhancing drugs. I am whole-heartedly proud to be Natural. I can separate myself from the 16 year old Gibbon who has no desire to compete or train but is just looking for an easy way to get big! Often reflecting their weak minds! I have friends and acquaintances that aren’t natural, who do have a passion for the sport and competition and it is not fair to include them into the ‘Gibbon’ category, their commitment and dedication to training and diet is still very commendable, it simply is just not my path of choice.
NEIL – Like the vast majority of Natural competitors, the lads at the gym the have said to me “imagine how big you’d be if you went on the gear?” It used to happen loads when I first started competing, but not so much nowadays, I suppose they’ve realised that if I’ve not taken that step by now I never will. There’s so many gains you can make staying Natural, if you get your training, nutrition and rest together. I feel the problem with the young lads starting out training at gyms all around the world is that they don’t learn enough about their diet before turning to ‘the dark side’. They’ll all be training flat out but not eating the right amounts of food to make maximum gains, they think the missing piece are steroids. They don’t realise their bodies are full of natural hormones as they are still growing at that young age. I was buying Flex magazine every month when I first started out, there were always plenty of diet articles and those are what I focused on. When I knew more about nutrition I soon realised if I ever did start using steroids I would have to increase my food intake to support the new muscle, and I was already spending a small fortune on turkey, chicken and protein powders! So the thought of having to buy more food, protein powder and the cost of the steroids themselves, plus the weekly injections, the yoyo-ing of body weight/size, and the fact you don’t really know what’s actually in the black market steroids put me off big time!
Q5 – Go back to how you were before you took your first steps towards the gym. Bodybuilding needs a lot of dedication and focus, but did you have that before you started training, or is it something you’ve developed mentally over the years? Has your bodybuilding life-style benefited other areas of your life, and how much of that would you say is all down to you becoming a bodybuilder?
JAY - My first intentions walking into the gym for the first time were to develop strength and power in the lower body to assist in the development of cycle speed. I was already competing at high national standards with the dreams of turning Pro and making a career from cycle track sprinting. These early ambitions, along with the close love and guidance from my family, instilled a tough mental attitude and focus that made the bodybuilding lifestyle a breeze! Although many people deem a bodybuilders life to be that of extreme dedication and focus, it still remains the individuals choice; for me, I don’t see it as dedication because I love it, much like the average bloke enjoys a pint on a weekend…is that dedication to alcohol?!!
IAN - I have always been a bit obsessive, if I do something there are no grey areas. If I decide to do something I will just about kill myself to do it. I am also stubborn and hard on myself the most. Case point, when I was 8 years old I had two fillings; the gas they gave you those days made me real sick. So much so I put two and two together and put it down to eating sweets. From that day, I never ate another sweet for more than 20 years. I was I bit of a tear-away when I was in my early teens, always known in school for the wrong reasons. I was only good at Art and PE and saw no point in doing anything else as I was going to work on the fishing boats, that was the plan.
One day when bunking off school with my mates, we hid in the local library away from the police. I happened to check out the sports section, there jumping into my view was a book that would change my life. The book was Arnold’s Education Of A Bodybuilder, from that day on I changed my ways and became a bodybuilder, this was my calling. I wrote a goals book that night, in it I wrote ‘Win Mr Britain. Open a gym. Write a book. Make a living from bodybuilding.’ I feel proud that I have achieved all those goals. Bodybuilding has given me the life I now lead, I feel blessed to have been able to do this. Many people have had a hand in my success. Nobody makes it alone, I help others and in turn they lift me, that's what we are here for. I want to leave my mark on this world, no matter how tiny a scratch it may be.
STEVE - Back before I entered a gym I was a rugby union prop-forward (props were only 5ft 5 in the 80's!). Lifting weights was only a part of getting fit for my rugby, stepping on the stage in a small pair of trunks was never in my mind, lol. I personally think as time has gone by it’s completely changed me as a person; it generates more confidence, as well as a feeling of well-being. After my first few workouts I always felt better when leaving the gym, more focused in my daily life style especially when it came to food, it changed the way I thought on what foods to eat leading to a better healthier life-style. I would encourage anyone thinking of starting training, whether its to get in shape or just to get fitter, to do so, who knows what it may lead to!!
WAYNE - I have always been very active starting at the age of 7 in numerous sports and different levels and openly admit I am very competitive!! Like I mentioned in Question 4, I got my first set of weights at thirteen and joined my first gym at sixteen as the interest in muscles and to have a good physique was there from a very young age.
Whatever I choose to do I believe I always give it 100%, my all, and bodybuilding is no different as I’m a firm believer in the saying that:-
“You will only get out of it what you’re willing to put into it”.
Bodybuilding is like no other sport, you’re not trying to see how many goals you can score or how far you can throw something it is simply all about how you look and come the day of a show there is no hiding up on stage under those bright lights in a tiny pair of trunks!!
This is where I feel bodybuilding has taught me a great lesson in Discipline and Willpower!! As whilst having that competitive side in me already I wasn’t fully aware of what it would take to get onto a bodybuilding stage and to be the best!!
Since my competitive debut I would say the sport of bodybuilding has had a big impact on my life in many different ways, for example:-
· My diet – so much more conscious of what I eat all the time now, picking foods up, checking what’s in them, calories, protein, carbs, fats etc...Healthier diet all year round – NEVER ate vegetables or salad until I began my prep for my first show...and that’s the truth!!
Appreciate the nicer/naughtier things in life more too!
· My attitude on life – I believe if I can go through what it takes to be the best on stage then I can adopt that to anything as the run up to a show is probably the toughest thing physically and mentally I have ever done.
ANDY - Bodybuilding as we know needs dedication and total commitment to achieve creditable results, I did not compete until I was 42 but have always been mentally strong and disciplined in any sport that I have participated in. At the age of 12 I was an England Schoolboy Boxing Semi-finalist, and have represented the Royal Marines at boxing in America and Holland. I have also run a marathon in a time of 3 hours and have taken part in various endurance events throughout my life. Even though I have reached a high level of fitness over the years I have always been very strong for my weight, however, it was not until I reached the age of 30, due to the various injuries I received over the years, that I had taken up weight training. The disciplined training regimes I have always followed over the years put me in good stead to follow a structured weight training schedule. In 2005 I represented the prison service at power lifting at the World Police and Fire Service Games in Quebec and entered the bodybuilding event for a bit of fun, and I really enjoyed the experience. When I returned home I checked out the web-sites for Natural Bodybuilding and the rest as they say is history. Bodybuilding has benefited other areas of my life; I currently work as a Physical Education Instructor at a local prison, I can integrate my experiences as a bodybuilder into my gym courses to promote a healthy lifestyle which counteracts the problems offenders have with drink and drugs which in turn will hopefully prevent prisoners re-offending, once they are released from custody.
NEIL – I used to play a lot of football with my mates and go fishing quite a lot when I was younger, but once I fell in love with the gym it slowly took over my life. When I first started out, my friends and I trained together and it wasn’t long before I started training on my own so I could do what I wanted to. As I mentioned earlier, I was buying Flex every month and reading the print off it! So my dedication and focus grew over the years as I paid more attention to what I was eating and how I was training. Once I started training at my first (and current) hardcore gym, Body-Fx in Runcorn, I was completely hooked! The gym had taken over my life and to the amusement of my friends I might have developed a mild case of OCD as my whole life revolved around the gym and what time my next meal was!! Going to the gym and improving my physique has definitely given me more self confidence and competing has given me goals in life and something to aim for.
Q6 – What next? What is it within you that drives you on to be better and better? Is it a title that still eludes you? Have you new worlds to conquer? Or is it just the way you are deep within yourself that drives you on to try to improve on past performances, on both personal and professional levels?
ANDY - My ambition this year is to defend my NPA Britain title for the third year running. There are no words to describe the elation of hearing your name called out as Champion; all the hard work, dieting and competition preparation are all well worth it. Every year gets harder, the Masters standard of competition has risen dramatically, ex-Champions are dusting down their posing trunks to compete at the highest level, and 2010 will be no different. My one great ambition would be to compete at the World Championships and give a good account of myself before father time or injury takes its toll. I still class myself as a newcomer to the sport, and believe I can still improve from my last performance, that’s what keeps me motivated. I would like to thank the NPA for giving me the stage to compete on and realise my ambitions, especially to Lee Kemp and Michael Phillips, who are always on hand to offer advice and encouragement to all NPA competitors.
NEIL – My next goal is to win the middleweight class and the Overall at the NPA British Finals, the title I’ve been chasing for nearly 10 years now! I usually compete every other year and have placed 2nd in the middleweight class at the Finals twice, I’ve come so close! In 2006 Andrew Merrifield had missed out on the lightweight class by 500g weighing into the middles and won, leaving me in second. In 2008 it was a close call between myself and Delroy Galloway, I had beaten him 2 weeks previously at the Mike Williams qualifier and went on to win the Overall as well as taking 3rd in a tough Pro-Am class of 7 past and present champions which was a fantastic day! I’ve also got a fantastic sponsor, Body Temple in Stoke on Trent, they’re the official importers of Gaspari Nutrition. Last year I helped out on the stand at the Body Power expo and got to hang out with Rich Gaspari and Flex Lewis for 3 days, even doing a seminar with them at my gym! This year they’re taking me to the FIBO in Germany for 6 days where I’ll be with Rich, Flex, Mark Alvisi, Cathy LeFrancois and some of the other Gaspari athletes, then in May we’re back at the NEC for the Body Power! If you’re going to these events please come and say hello and I’ll see what freebies I can sort you out!! Hopefully I’ll write another article this year on supplements, maybe even do some more seminars, and I’ll be on a few of the Gaspari stands at some of the UKBFF shows.
STEVE - What's next? Well, in my mind I would really like to take a world title, I came 4th last year in a line-up of 20, I don't think I'll rest till I better that placing or maybe take the title! Although I have a British title to retain first, so first things first! This above title eludes me but gives me the drive to achieve more and improve my physique, who knows what will happen this year!? I personally think every bodybuilder needs that drive to better him or herself from year to year, you need to 100% commit yourself to a bodybuilding life-style, even off-season eating counts to me, that doesn't mean eating junk food all year! I'm a firm believer in the saying you are what you eat!
Thanks for the opportunity to answer these questions, Michael, I would also like to thank my sponsors Reflex Nutrition for helping me achieve my goals in 2009, and hopefully in 2010.
JAY - Titles are the cherry on the cake, it is the journey that is most important. My biggest rival is myself, I am my own worst critic, I have won prestigious titles on the World stage in both Bodybuilding and Power-lifting and immediately felt quite deflated rather than elated after the competition is over. I am certainly as ambitious as ever, and my competitive career has only just begun. I don’t have a specific contest in mind at the moment, but the NPA Pro-Am always holds interest to me as it’s the only show that has been illusive, and another World power-lifting title always gets me psyched!
WAYNE - What next...hmmm…
I have achieved great things so far in two years of competition, those being:-
· Two British Titles
· World Title
· Pro Card
However, now following my superb year in 2009, I believe that has given me the drive to go on and try achieve even better things on the Pro-Stage, whether that be this year, next year or the year after.
Results have not always gone my way in the past but I’m not the sort of person who allows that to affect me in a negative way. Instead, I focus that disappointment and channel my feelings/thoughts into a kind of energy that drives me on to prove to myself and those who doubted me not to underestimate me in the future!
Every time you step on stage I believe that the goal should always be to have improved from the last time you were up there...that is my opinion anyway. Someone who is happy to get up year after year looking exactly the same, to me, is not seriously applying all the factors we spoke about earlier:-
Attitude/determination
Consistency
Training
Rest
Diet/nutrition
This is ‘bodybuilding’ and not ‘body-maintaining’.
So for me, my Number 1 aim (amongst others) this year is to return to New York in November and step back on the World Championship stage in the WNBF Professional line-up for the first time. Come the day of that show I will be the very best I can be and know I could not have asked any more from myself; if the result goes against me on the day and I am beaten by a better man/men then I would always be the first to congratulate and shake their hand as being gracious in defeat as well as victory, to me, is being a true champion.
This said, I know myself too well that my competitive streak and burning desire inside will only push me on to prove to myself I can and will be the best!!
I have all the support I need to be able to do this and would like to take this opportunity to thank these people involved:-
· Craig & Kim and all at Potential Gym, Castleford.
· My number one supporters, Mum and Dad, love you both and you are my focus when the going gets tough!!
· My friends – for understanding and not trying to force feed me Mars Bars!!
· Reflex Nutrition – for the kind support and sponsorship which has no doubt been instrumental in my progress and achievements.
When I made that choice to step up on stage for the very first time, I openly admit it was a very nerve racking experience, but now heading into my third year of competing I can honestly say after all the months and months of hard work, training and dieting involved, I now thrive on the buzz it gives me when I’m about to go on stage.
I used to be a normal 18 stone guy, played rugby on a weekend and ‘went’ to the gym. I can now say I am a two time British and World Champion Natural Pro Bodybuilder!!!
Upon reflection the following phrase sums up my belief and outlook on life in general:-
“If you always do what you always did,
you will always get what you always got!!”
Finally, to all those competing, or considering competing for the very first time, I wish you all the very best for 2010 and the future.
AMEN!!!
IAN - At 44, I feel I am just getting good now ha-ha, so I have no plans to hang the trunks up just yet. I have though, retired more times than Rocky. Then as time has gone on, I have realised that things are going really well and my body is getting better and not worse. I have no aches or pains, my energy is huge and I am stronger than ever. So why not keep going? I have a pact with my wife Louise - if and when I get ready for a show and I just do not have it - she will tell me flat out - hang it up.
At the moment I have a goal in my head to compete later in the year. I have always wanted to do the WNBF, so my sights are set on that. I would then like to look at doing a Masters show, I think my conditioning will stand me in good stead there.
If the day comes and I have no fire - remember I do not do grey areas, I will move on to something else and give that all I have. I do have many other goals waiting in the wings for when that day comes. Ending here I would like to thank Louise for putting up with me all these years and to everyone who trusts in me to help them reach for their goals.
So concludes a fascinating insight into what makes 6 top bodybuilders the Champions they are! I would like to thank all 6 Champions for their input with this informative article, and I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention just a few of their titles, so here we go;
Andy Hallahan – NPA British Masters Champion 2008 & 2009, Boxing Champion, and Marathon runner
Ian Duckett – ANB British Lightweight Champion 1995, NPA Mike Williams Pro-Am Champion 2007, UIBBN World Lightweight Champion 2007
Jay Hollingsworth – NPA British Junior Champion 2005, NPA UK Overall Champion 2005, UIBBN European & World Junior Champion 2005, 2 time British & World Natural Power-lifting Champ 110kg class
Neil Ashley – ANB British Novice Champion 2000, NPA Yorkshire Middleweight Champion 2006, NPA Mike Williams Classic Overall Champion 2008
Steve Davies – NPA British Lightweight Champion 2008 & 2009, NPA Mike Williams Classic Lightweight Champion 2008
Wayne Braddock – NPA British Novice Champion 2007, NPA British Heavyweight Champion 2009, INBF World Heavyweight Champion 2009
Champions All!
Michael Phillips
April 2010
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