Reading your web site, I
see you conduct specialized personal training sessions taking an
afternoon at a time and discussing everything from Training to
Nutrition. Who would benefit most from such sessions and should we book
a session with you? What type of preparation would be needed ahead of
this?
I get all sorts of people take up these
consultations from all over the country. Men, women, beginners,
intermediates, competitors, non-competitors, all sorts. The main thing
they have in common is they reach a sticking point with their progress
and need direction. It can either be a nutrition problem, or training,
or motivation, or a combination. People also come to see me for guidance
on contest prep, posing and choreography. I put together a whole routine
in one session, and not just any old routine. I work with the music to
produce something that shows off the client’s strengths and hides their
weaknesses. It’s a judged round and so in a closely fought battle,
having a polished, well thought-out routine can make the difference
between winning and losing.
All I ask clients to bring is their current
training and diet plan and their posing costume, and plenty of food as
you know what bodybuilders are like, they need feeding often, especially
with the posing being such hard work!
What are your medium and
longer term plans in bodybuilding, will you continue to compete?
Well, I’m 31 now and so realistically I see
no reason why I cant compete and continue to improve for at least
another decade. I have a saying that in natural bodybuilding you get a
really good innings, unlike many sports where you’re considered over the
hill when you pass your early to mid thirties. I’m just coming into my
prime now, and am excited that my best years are still ahead of me. So,
as long as I can stay healthy, motivated, continue to improve, and fit
competing into my lifestyle, then I will keep going. I have no kids yet,
which makes things easier. Speaking to friends who have them, it does
make competing so much harder, because you cannot just ignore them for
weeks on end while you concentrate on yourself.
Who now in your
opinion will be the people to watch next year?
In the UK, the guys who
impress me are those with balanced, aesthetic physiques. Guys like Dell
Galloway,
Gary Hill and
Abdul Miah. I don’t know if they will
compete next year but they will all make superb middleweights, and in my
opinion all have the potential in time to become British overall
champions. They have great attitudes to the sport too. They never expect
any more out of it than they put in, and that’s the way it should be.
Right now though, for 2007, I think Neil Ashley will be the man to
watch. If he can bring up his back a little more he will take some
stopping.
Who do you believe has
the most potential?
This is a difficult question to answer
because it’s not always obvious who will fulfill their potential. We all
see guys and girls with great prospects but all too often they give up
and fall by the wayside, or fail to make the improvements we expect of
them. On the other hand there are those who don’t particularly stand
out, then all of a sudden, they get their act together and BOOM! They
make the most of their genetics and fulfill that potential. A great
example is Rob Feesey. Not the world’s greatest genetics but when he’s
on form he can topple many a gifted bodybuilder.
Right now, I would say the guys with the
most potential are the youngsters like Gary Hill, Abdul Miah, Sam Bond
and Jay Hollingsworth. They all have time on their side and the anabolic
window of their twenties to exploit. Sam and Abdul just need to figure
out a way of dialing in their condition (Sam more so), and as for Jay,
all he needs is more experience onstage to perfect his presentation,
because he has all the other tools. Gary just needs to decide when he
wants it, because it’s a big world out there and I know he has other
interests outside bodybuilding. As for the ladies, I think Lynn Sneddon
has awesome potential, which she’s just beginning to tap into by honing
her condition.
What is your most recent
DIY project and how long did it take to finish (I will only publish this
one if it took months, just to make my wife feel better!)
Well, as you know Justin I love DIY and
after renovating my house, which took five years I needed another
project to sink my teeth into. So I decided to build my own log-cabin
home gym at the bottom of the garden. It arrived flat pack so all I
needed to do was slot it together. The main concern was building a
strong enough base to support it and all the weight I’d be hurling
around, so I built it on an array of five, one-tonne concrete sleepers.
All in all it took around sixteen weeks to build, that’s including all
the ground work, building, painting and staining etc. It took a few
additional months to kit it out, but now it’s done I use it most days,
and I must say it’s one of the more successful DIY jobs I’ve completed!
What were your favorite
pictures of you this year and can we see them?
Some of the best shots were actually taken
at the NPA finals guest spot, of which the abs and thigh by How Jones is
my favorite. I am currently waiting for a photo CD to arrive back from
the worlds, which I’m sure will have some good pictures too. I have
included a few shots I’ve been sent in the meantime.
What is your most
favored supplement, the one you feel has most effect on you for the
better?
Well, two supplements are equally important
to me but for different reasons. Whey protein is the first. I use
Maximuscle’s Promax, but any good whey protein is useful for
bodybuilders. It can be difficult consuming five or six solid food meals
a day, so it’s convenient to break it up with a whey protein based meal.
Whey is ideal at breakfast and post-workout when the body is low in
amino acids and needs a quick influx to maintain positive nitrogen
balance.
The second supplement is Udo’s oil, which
is rich in essential omega 3 and 6 fats that the body cannot
manufacture. I
use this year-round as it’s a general good-health supplement, but I feel
the benefits of it most when I’m dieting down and restricting my intake
of normal fats. The Udo’s keeps my energy levels up, my hormone levels
stabilized and actually helps me get leaner. It also keeps my hair and
skin in good condition which is a nice side-affect!
Actually, one of my favorite meals is whey
mixed with oats, hot water and a dessertspoon of Udo’s. Then I chop a
banana up and throw it in the mix. I eat this for breakfast and post
workout, sometimes adding a bit of honey to sweeten it, plus maybe some
creatine too, although I tend to cycle that. My wife thinks it looks
like slop but I love it!
How strict are you over
your diet on and off-season, do you have any cheats at all? If so what?
Off-season I have a small cheat most days;
usually bit of ice-cream or chocolate, or something similar. However, I
keep my core meals pretty clean and just have the odd splurge on top. I
do actually like clean, healthy food, like fruit, vegetables, salads,
brown rice and sweet potatoes etc., so I never feel like I’m depriving
myself by eating these foods. When I’m dieting I tend to eliminate the
cheats, gradually tightening things up as the weeks progress. Things
like chocolate tend to go out in week one, with less damaging cheat
foods such as bread and pasta being eliminated a little further along
the line.
Will you be attending
any British shows in 2007 and will you be conducting any seminars?
I plan to be
at most NPA shows this year, either judging or attending. I am also
talking with my local gym in Coalville, Leicestershire, about running a
seminar in the New Year too.
