UKBFF BRITISH FINALS HERE I COME!!!

I  qualified for the British finals last Sunday (5th October) by placing second. I'm over the moon with my result. My aim was just to see how I fair against top quality competitors and then let the judges decide where they want to place me.

The guy who beat me was the fantastic Darren Nicholhurst. He was very full with great shape but was clearly 'OFF' as you can see from the photo's but I'm not complaining. Darren seems like a nice bloke and I  congratulate him on his win but the outcome will hopefully be different at the finals as I will be even tighter... and fuller! I know exactly how to manipulate my nutrients, sodium and water intake to make the necessary improvements.

Right now I have no stress at all, it seems like plain sailing now that I know what to manipulate. My base weight right now is where I was before I carb depleted, this puts me In the most perfect position to burn any excess fat off. My condition from the front has no issues as far as I'm concerned but the from back I still have fat to come off my glutes and lower back, the most problematic area for most people as this is where fat stores tend to hang to the most. From my current condition I have 8 fat burning days before I carb load. I know what the outcome of my condition will be now and I cant wait to see the finished look.

It has been my ultimate dream to compete in the UKBFF British Championships as a light heavy weight... And now I'm finally going.

Last year I was 3rd at Warrington in the middleweight division with NO invite to the final's...This time around my muscle mass is up 6kg with much improved overall conditioning and as Light heavy weight. I really couldn't ask for more so I know my homework has paid off!!!

 

  

 

 

My diet and cardio program at the moment before I make changes Is like this;

4 NAR REDHEAT CAPSULES,10g NAR L-GLUTAMINE, 1HR ON THE TREADMILL WITH 2% INCLINE

Meal 1) 4 SCOOPS NAR ULTIMATE, 1/2 CUP OATS, 1/4 CUP ALMONDS, 4 NAR    CLA SOFGELS

Meal 2) 300g FISH, 1/2 BAG UNCLE BENS WHOLEMEAL RICE, NATTY PEANUT BUTTER, 4 NAR CLA CAPSULES

Meal 3) AS ABOVE

Meal 4) AS ABOVE

10g NAR L-GLUTAMINE BEFORE TRAINING, ALONG WITH 1 SERVING OF NOX SHOCK (NOX SHOCK WILL BE AVAILABLE EARLY NOVEMBER)

TRAIN 90mins AFTER FOOD THEN 30mins ON THE STAIR MASTER IMMEDIATLY AFTER WORKOUT

Meal 5) AS ABOVE

Meal 6) 4 SCOOPS NAR ULTIMATE, 4 CLA

10g NAR L-GLUTAMINE BETWEEN 3-6 a.m TAKEN WHEN I WAKE UP NATURALLY TO GO TO THE BATHROOM

 

As you can see it can get very tedious but EVERY day 'HAS' to be the same in order for me to attain this level of conditioning.

I NEVER MISS A MEAL

NEVER MISS A WORKOUT

NEVER MISS A TABLET OR CAPSULE

EVERY SINGLE GRAM OF FOOD AND WATER IS TAKEN IN ACCORDINGLY!!!

My next blog post will be after the finals now. My mind is starting to wonder now because of extreme low bodyfat and lack of carbs and I find it VERY hard to cope trying live a normal life whilst putting my body through the mill so to speak.

This sport isn't for everyone, its the hardest thing you could ever do to your body both physically and mentally. So If I come across a little tetchy (because I am) then Its because of my current condition in the final stages, it does this to you but when the tough gets going... I get tougher because I love it and I want it badly!!! Right now I'm just cracking on with the task at hand.

I wish to thank my friends for supporting me. My lil' sis Sarah and especially my girlfriend Natalie who is with me all the way and puts up with my way of living so a BIG BIG Thank you x x x

Thursday 2nd October, 1st day loading phase.

Today is my first day of loading my body with complex carbohydrates. My carb intake 2 weeks ago was around 250g divided into my first 6 meals and the last meal has been protein and essential fats only.

2 weeks ago I halved my carbs (nearly) and had 30g of carbs for my first 4 meals and the remaining 3 had none. All the time my carbs was low protein increased from 40g to 50g per meal. Breakfast is always 60g.

For my depleting phase I halved carbs again (This really did kill me), and my carb intake was 35g 1hr before I trained and another 35g post workout. That was my carbs for the entire day and I thought I was going insane but every time I woke up and checked myself out in the mirror first thing I was seeing was my condition getting better and better and the whole of my body (Muscles) getting flatter and flatter. This was perfect for me as I can now see what is to come.

Once I drop subcutaneous water and fill the muscle out with carbs of which could increase by up to 600-1000g of complex carbs at the most, it will work like magic and I'm really looking forward to it now .

Today is a tester to see how my body responds to the amount's of food I'm putting in and I will decide what to do when I check myself out in the morning. I wont be following any particular plan that is written down as I just take each day as it comes. I'm just doing as I see fit and also the input of my girlfriend Natalie means a great deal as she now knows what to look for.

Natalie took this photo today, this will be my worst, depleted flat look and I should gain a few lbs each day up until Sunday. As this process kicks in the skin will get thinner and thinner and vascularity will be greatly enhanced.

Most people tend to hold more body fat in the glutes and back, I fit into this category well and its a bitch to get off, especially when If you're ready from the front weeks ago but that means nothing.... If you aint ready from the back then YOURE not ready. A guy asked me in the gym (He competes) can you see your abs yet??? WTF! Their is a difference bewteen being In shape and THINKING you're in shape. If I was totally honest about my condition, I would say its 90% there from the rear, the front isnt a problem so I thought I would share with you my worst condition which is to the rear, but it will get better. Hopefully my condition will be enough to get me through to finals (If I qualify) and then the final bits of fat will be off 2 weeks later.

So far so so good, time to eat now... again! :  )

Hell has come!

What a week I've had. At the start of the week i decided not be scared of dropping my carbs by half to get my bodyfat lower followed with a 90 minute cardio session as soon as I stroll out of bed, how nice. The results have been fantastic. Having spoken to my friend's James Lllewellin (British middle weight champ) and soon to be again... Also Paul Jenkins, light heavy competitor and british finalist (now a heavy weight) trains with 'The FREAK' Heavyweight champion Zack Khan. Its always good to have someone in your corner. I know what im doing but at this final time three heads are better than one.

I will remain depleted until Wednesday evening and then come Thursday i will carb load as i see fit weighing myself every few hrs to gauge weight and also look in the mirror every a.m and p.m to see the real results. Also Natalie will check my back and glutes for condition and make sure everything is going to plan. I'm totally shattered and that's why I've had to finish work now. I can barely put a sentence together and I cant face talking to people at the moment, tinternet is cool though, ha! Sorry to my mates and customers but its just how it makes me feel. Give it  a whirl one day its right laugh... NOT!

Feeling sooooo negative because I feel like a skinny girl. The lack of carbs and flat as a pancake muscles dont exactly chirp me up but hey, all part of the process. You have to go through the shitty stage to reap the rewards at the end and I'm nearly their. Once I start carb loading my attidude will change, feel positive, look better, be bigger and most of all be ready!!!

2 weeks out from show date!

Hi everyone. Very sorry its been so long since my last post! I've been stuck in the middle organising certain aspects of my web site, formulating my products, working in my shop and aiming to get into contest ready shape so I've had my hands full big time.

Today is Wednesday 24th September, approximately 12 days until I compete and don't I know it, ha! Very much looking forward to it. Without a doubt its the biggest I've been in terms of carrying REAL lean muscle, forget what the scales say as they don't tell you what condition your in... Use the mirror as your guide as this will indicate your true condition, the mirror never lie's!

On Monday I trained Chest and Shoulders. I recorded the last set of every exercise and rolled it into one short film with a backing track, I will do this all week. It gives you a better idea of how I train. I mostly prefer to train on my own, I'm self motivated so being by myself isn't a problem... I'm in my own little world.

I have made the important decision to have my last working day this Saturday. Because my body fat is very low and contest prep is so time consuming I need a full week to really finish things off.

At the moment this is a typical day;  

7.30 4 x Red Heat capsules, 10g NAR Glutamine

8.00 90 minutes on the treadmill

9.30 Take my 2 Japanese Akita's out for a walk by the canal

10.00 5 scoops NAR ULTIMATE, 1/4 cup oats (Blended with water to drink)

12.00 300g Fish, 1/2 packet uncle bens microwave rice, Almond butter

2.00 2 NAR Red Heat capsules

2.30 As above

5.30 As above

6.30 NAR NOX SHOCK (Awesome product and will be out soon)

6.30 Take the dogs out again

7.00 TRAIN

8.30 NAR VOLUMIZE

9.30 300g fish, Almond butter

11.30 300g fish, Nut butter

Then try and get some sleep. I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my work and sleep is very difficult as my fat reserves slowly decline. Good job I have an XBOX and stacks of DVD's to keep me occupied.

The following photo's are 5 weeks and 3 days out;

Amazing transformation in as little as 9.5 weeks!

Here are my latest pictures; 2 weeks to go,

Amazing really when the fat starts to come off, things are much more pronounced, muscle insertions are much deeper and the overall look is starting to look more polished but my condition is far from being complete. Now is where things will start to get harder, much, much harder as the last bits of fat NEED to be off by next week and then water retention needs to be manipulated and stripped off to get that extra hard look. Mmm, I wish it was easier but then if it was easy their would be no fun! I really do get off on being mentally and physically challenged... All the way to the end, right now I would say more than I ever have been :  )

16 July 2008

Had a look at my photo’s and I’m not impressed at all. I look far too watery so I won’t be adding any photos just yet. In another 4 weeks I will be fine. I will look fuller, harder and I will be carrying a lot less water... Especially in the face! : )

My chest and shoulder workout went like this:

Swiss ball flyes	10kg, 15kg, 20kg, 25kg	20, 15, 12, 10
Flat dumbbell press	50lbs, 70lbs, 90lbs, 105lbs	15, 12, 10, 8
Hammer prone press	40kg, 60kg, 80kg, 100kg	15, 12, 10, 8
Dips	2	failure
Side laterals	25kg, 20kg, 15kg	3 x Triple drop

14 July 2008

Got weighed today and something very unusual for me has happened, my weight is down by 5lbs instead of up a 1lb or so? Because my weight went up very quickly a lot of excess water would have been gained through sheer volumization within a short period. My body has had time to simmer down now which is great because I know which angle to change certain things. No more sudden weight increases now. Actually a drop of 1lb per week is what I will be looking at from 11 weeks out.

I have decided to reduce my cardio from 45-50mins to 30-35 mins and also increase my carb intake. This will be hard as I am already struggling to cram food in as it is. I feel if I carry on I will lose muscle from too much cardio and insufficient carbs so I have made some minor changes.

7.45	3 NAR Red Heat fat burner Capsules, 5g NAR Micronized L-Glutamine
8.15	Cardio 30 mins
9.00	2 SCOOPS NAR Ultimate Protein blend, 100g Oat’s, 40g Almonds, 1g NAR CLA
12.00	250g Fish, 1 Omega3 egg, 300g Potato, 40g Almonds, 1g NAR CLA
3.00	200g Tuna in spring water, 2 omega3 eggs, 6 Rice cakes, 25g Natural PB,  1g NAR CLA
4.00	2 NAR Red Heat fat burner capsules
6.00	PRE-WORKOUT (1hr Before)
	1 Serving of NAR Volumize, 1/2 scoop of NAR Ultimate, 1g CLA
7.00	Train
8.00	POST-WORKOUT
	1 Serving of NAR Volumize, 1 Scoop of NAR Ultimate
9.00	200g Chicken breast, 1 Packet of Uncle Bens white rice, 1g NAR CLA
10.00	2 Scoops NAR Ultimate Protein Blend, 100g oats, 20g Almonds, 1g NAR CLA
3.00	10g NAR Micronized L-Glutamine

Photos get taken tonight, not feeling very confident about the way I look today, the reason being is that I always expect far too much from myself because I want to improve fast and I’m far too impatient for my own good. I feel flat, fat, small and not really with it? Just having a very negative day but that’s body building for you. Hopefully after I’ve blasted chest I should feel much better. Also no one knows what I look like and my friend Neil is going to check me out as he is taking the photos.

12 July 2008

Last night was legs:

Leg extension
Leg press
Squats
Seated calf machine
Hamstring curl

This morning I did my usual superset training for arms:

Cable pushdowns/High pulley cable curls
Lying EZ bar extension/Standing barbell curls
Rope kickbacks/Rope hammer curls
Bench dips/Preacher machine curls

My arms where fried after this. Even now, 5hrs later I feel like I’ve just left the gym. Super pumped and the feeling is great. Weigh day is tomorrow so I will check my weight and once I know what I weigh I’m going to make certain adjustments to my diet. Personally I think I need eat more, this is very different for me because at the 12 week mark or so I would usually be making cutbacks. My condition is much improved from last week, so much that I look like I have lost weight so more carb’s may be needed, which isn’t a bad thing. We all love food don’t we, eating more will be better for me mentality as more body fat starts to drop.

10 July 2008

I was going to train back yesterday but for some strange reason I got severe stomach ache so put an end to going to the gym for that day.

I trained back the following day and it was a great session. I put my mp3 player on so I can get more motivated by listening to music what I like and also so no one will talk to me whilst I’m training. I simply don’t have time to chat and as the weeks go by I’m getting more serious as my body is gaining muscle mass and dropping body fat at quite a fast rate. I’m very, very impatient, I guess we all want it now or in my book yesterday, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the coming weeks to progress further.

My Back, rear delt & trap exercises went like this:

Reverse grip pulldown
Rope cable rows
Dumbbell rows
High pulley cable rows
Bent over dumbbell rows
Smith machine shrugs

8 July 2008

Yesterday my workout was as follows:

Swiss ball fyes	4	20, 15, 12 , 10
Incline dumbbell press	4	15, 12, 10, 8
Hammer prone row	3	12, 10, 8
Hammer  incline press	3	12, 10, 8
Dumbbell front raises	3	10, 10, 10
Cable side laterals	3	12, 10, 10
Hammer shoulder press	2	10, 10, 10

This workout felt excellent and the pump was immense with all exercises. Tomorrow will be back.

7 July 2008

One week behind on my blog because I’ve been so busy with work etc.

Got up this morning to do my 45mins cardio then headed straight for my physio session for 30mins, took my dogs out then had my breakfast and then ready for work. My workouts have pretty much been the same as previous weeks but the biggest difference is my weight, I’m up 15lbs so my stripped morning weight yesterday was 15.1 (211lbs) (93.7kgs). For me this is fantastic, next week I shall compare photos of last year to the present day. By next week I reckon I will be up a 1lb or 2? So that gives me a net gain of 16-17lbs but my body fat is less at this stage compared to last year. At 12 weeks out last year I was 13.12 so that’s not a bad gain in a year for a dwarf! I am predicting a gain of around 17-20lbs (fat free mass) give or take a few pounds. I’ve been saying this for a long time but the more I keep saying it, the more I believe it will happen. As long as I keep things very strict, everything will fall into place. Tonight is chest and shoulders so I will report tomorrow with my routine.

28 June 2008

My leg session was slightly more intense compared to last week:

Leg extension	3	20, 20, 20
Lunges	3	10, 10, 10
Leg press	3	20, 15, 10
Seated calf raises	3	12, 10, 8
Lying leg curl	2	15, 12

I aim to alternate leg press with squats for a nice shock and a bit of variety. Although my legs are growing they are starting to get a little more defined. This gives me a clearer look of how they will look in the month’s to come.

23 June 2008

A good start to the week as my weight has gone from 14 stone (196lbs) to 14.9 (205lbs) so I’m up 9lbs. It’s not muscle that I’ve gained it’s purely cell volumisation so I’m just regaining what I’ve lost. I was like a deflated football, I’m simply blowing the air back in until It’s full.

Cardio has now increased to 40 min’s, up 10 min’s from last week. I’m finding this very easy. 4.5mph and an incline of 5%. My dog’s just lay down next the treadmill and watch me, they was going nut’s at first but they have got used to it, good job because Keiko is a big lad. Suki is small with a big mouth, sounds like a few people I know, ha!

Chest tonight and really looking forward to it as this is one area I am prioritising along with a million other things.

22 June 2008

Got up at 7.45, took my supplements and did 30 mins on the treadmill. I have a treadmill installed in my shop so nobody talks to me at the gym. Not to rude it’s so I can focus more, plus I’m not really one for talking as soon as I get up (who is?) especially doing this as soon you get up. I had my Volumize pre-workout drink then at 9.00 a.m. I headed to the gym which is right on my doorstep. My arm workout:

Rope pushdowns	3	30, 20, 15
Preacher curls	3	20, 15, 12
Incline EZ extensions	3	20, 15, 12
Concentration curls	3	15, 15, 12
Bench dips	3	failure
Seated cable curl	3	12, 12, 12

After this my arms were fried. My full body workout is now complete! I’ve had long lay off’s many times before and I usually just play around the first week and increase poundage’s and intensity in increments like the following; Week (2) 50% max handling weight, Week (3) 75% max handling weight, Week (4) 100% max handling weight. I’ve had 2 month’s off so it will take me half of that time to get back to where I was, roughly.

21 June 2008

Last night was legs. I hate training them... Until last night! I did lunges, an exercise I haven’t done in years. This has spiced things up for me as I really enjoyed them. My legs are in total agony and I can hardly walk, I didn’t do that much at all but my legs grow very quickly compared to my upper body, I wish it was the other way around. My workout:

Leg extension	2	20, 20
Lunges	2	20, 20 (10 per leg)
Leg Press	2	20, 20
Hamstring curl	2	15, 15
Standing calf raise	1	20

Very simple and took me 20 minutes. I will increase the poundage’s and intensity slightly next week.

19 June 2008

Last night I trained back. I was like a duck to water. Although this is only my second session I really wanted to push the boat out and train more intensely but this would not be a wise decision because the impact would be far too much and besides, I still want to get out of bed in the morning!

My routine was as follows;

HAMMER STRENGTH PULLDOWNS	3 SETS	REPS; 20, 15, 12
CABLE ROWS	3	20, 15, 12
DUMBELL ROWS	3	20, 15, 12
CYBEX REAR DELT MACHINE	3	15, 10, 10
SEATED DUMBELL SHRUGS	3	10, 10, 10
ROPE CRUNCHES	2	30, 30

My 4th day into cardio and I am really feeling the effects of this along with the diet. Because body is missing out on the good stuff (sugars) I feel kind of strange, slightly light headed really. It’s not for lack of Kcals, not when I’m taking in 3,600 CLEAN calories. It’s just my body adjusting to the diet, eating regular, training and cardio. All of this is certainly a shock to the body but it’s all good.

I do feel hungry which is a good sign and also I don’t use the toilet as much (just thought id share that), this can only mean my metabolism has increased and my body is utilising all the protein, carbohydrates and essential fats that I consume on a daily basis and also my body is in a muscle building, fat burning state which is exactly where I need to be.

Only a few days in and I’m feeling very confident as for what is expected of myself, especially compared to last year anyway. The outcome will be relieved once I step on onstage. I think it’s always best to let your body do the talking!

16 June 2008

LOSING BODYFAT – CARDIO

Started my cardio today, this is a must to lose excess body fat and is done first thing before breakfast as soon as I get up out of bed. Your body burns fat by as much as three times more efficiently at that time then in the evening because your glycogen levels are at the lowest point. I.e. the body has fasted so the body will use fat as the primary source of fuel. The treadmill was set on a incline of 3% and a speed of 5.5mph. My heart rate will maintain a minimum of 120 BPM and a max of 130 BPM. This is my fat burning zone. Contrary to what some people may think as regards to losing fat, if you go over your fat burning range (zone) you will start to use stored glycogen (carbs) because your energy output is too great. It may seem strange to some but you burn fat faster by fast walking as opposed to running.

INSULIN SENSITIVITY

One of the biggest mistakes people make when losing body fat is consuming sugars. This is a big no no! Insulin is a fat storage hormone. When you ingest carbohydrates your body releases insulin. The higher the sugar content the more your body will release insulin from the pancreas. To keep off unwanted fat its best to stick to complex carbohydrates only to keep blood sugar levels stable. Refer to glycemic index chart to help out.

Also I add in an array of essential fats that include fish oils, extra virgin olive oil and legumes in the form of almonds. Just for the record, peanuts grow in trees and legumes grow in the ground. I prefer to have legumes than nuts as legumes are an excellent source of omega 3, the most important compared to omega 6 and 9. Its best to have all three but the majority would be omega 3. Adding good fats as stated can blunt the insulin response even further so if your blood sugar levels are stable your chances of losing fat is far greater.

That’s the basis of losing body fat. Here’s my diet and supplement program to complement gaining lean muscle tissue which coincides with my cardio to achieve the look that I will have within 16 weeks.

MY DIET

PROTEIN	300g = 1,200kcals
CARBS	300g = 1,200kcals
FAT	133g = 1,200kcals
TOTAL:	3,600kcals (Divided by 7 = Protein 43g, Carbs, 43g, Fat 19g)

7.30	NAR Red Heat fat burner 2 Capsules, 5g NAR Micronized L-Glutamine
8.00	Cardio 30 mins
8.45	2 SCOOPS NAR Ultimate Protein blend, 70g Oat’s, 40g Almonds, 1g NAR Cla
12.00	250g Fish, 250g Potato, 40g Almonds, 1g NAR Cla
3.00	6 whole scrambled omega3 eggs, 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1g NAR Cla
6.00	PRE-WORKOUT (1hr Before)
	1 Serving of NAR Volumize
7.00	Train
8.00	POST-WORKOUT
	1 Serving of NAR Volumize
9.00	Chicken breast, 1 Packet of Uncle Bens white rice, 1g NAR Cla
10.00	200g Fish, 50g Oats, ½ Scoop NAR Ultimate Protein Blend, 35g Almonds, 1g NAR Cla
3.00	5g NAR Micronized L-Glutamine, 2 Scoops NAR Ultimate protein

AND TO COMPLIMENT THE ABOVE IS MY TRAINING PROGRAM

Monday P.M.	chest and shoulders
Tuesday	rest
Wednesday P.M.	back, rear delts and traps
Thursday	rest
Friday P.M	legs
Saturday A.M	biceps and triceps
Sunday	rest

My workout was short with low intensity. I always train shoulders after chest as this will pre exhaust my delt’s to a degree. I had keyhole surgery last June so I have to very careful. No more heavy lifting for me these days, I can but only to a degree. At present I’m having trouble with the tendon on my right shoulder and my left forearm (hurts like hell) but I’m not one keep moaning about it so that’s the last you will hear about it.

MY ROUTINE ON MONDAY WENT LIKE THIS

Cable crossovers	4 sets	40, 20, 15, 15 Reps
Incline d’bell press	3	15, 12, 10
Flat hammer press	3	15, 12, 10
Lateral raises	3	20, 15, 10
Crunches	2	20

I added 2 sets of crunches for my abdominals, very easy but I don’t want to overdo things. My intensity, sets, reps and cardio will all increase over the coming weeks.

Here I am after my lazy lay off, not much to look at but I will get better.... I’m going to put my heart and soul into my preparation and with the help of my newly formulated NAR product’s range I know this will make a dramatic difference.

Pre Contest Blog

Well, it’s that time again for me to get my body into tip shop shape as opposed to chip shop shape. My unclothed morning weight today is 14 stone (196 lbs). I plan on competing at the same weight but the difference being is that my body fat realistically maybe around 18-20% at the present. When I compete I hope to turn it around into single digits, around the 5% mark. I don’t use callipers or anything like that, the mirror will be my guide throughout the whole process, and also keeping a close second eye on my condition will be my best friend and girlfriend, Natalie.

Most guys tend to stay heavy, check themselves out, stay heavy for months on end and then get ready to trim down. I prefer to normalise my physique, chill out, live normal and eat what I want when I want. That also means NO weight training or any kind of physical exercise what so ever.

In 2006 I took 6 months out and weighed 12.5 (175lbs) and competed at 12.8 (178lbs). This year I’ve taken 3 months off all supplementation and 2 months off training. My reason for this move is because I’m priming my body to venture into a post anabolic state, the total opposite of what my body has just been through (catabolic). Mentally I can handle being smaller than usual, it’s no big deal. Purposely going catabolic is not the norm for a bodybuilder in fact it would be there worst nightmare... But to each their own, everyone has a plan and this is how I prefer to do things these days. The anabolic rebound from my normal state is just immense. Weight gain for me isn’t an issue but body composition is and will be at this crucial time. The change will be fast and dramatic as you will see as I will upload photos every 4 weeks and in between I will add varies miscellaneous photos from the gym etc, also I will include my bodyweight on a weekly basis to assess how things are going.