Update and goal setting pep talk

Apologies to those who follow the blog, I haven't had a chance recently to update it as I have recently moved flat so up until recently have had limited internet access.

GOAL SETTING

Now a subject that I think needs to discussed is in regards to having a goal. I come across so many people who attend the gym faith fully but actually have no real idea what they are trying to achieve.

Ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve? Write this down and clearly define it. Then question where you are at the moment in relation to your ultimate goal? Are you close or very far away? Question is what you are doing right now helping you get closer to the goal?

If the answer is no then its time to make some changes. Repeating the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result is insanity!

Of course some of you might struggle even defining your goal properly. This when you might need to invest in some expert help to help you define your goal. It often takes just being asked a few right questions for a light bulb to come on in your head.

Having this goal and vision is crucial. Nobody who has attained any great success in life has done so without first having a dream or vision!


MY OWN GOALS

For entertainment sake and to show that I practice what I preach here are my current goals in order of importance-

1, HEAL MY LEAKY GUT PROBLEM

I have been having abdominal problems on and off for the last couple of years that a doctor suspects is attributed to 'leaky gut syndrome'. To help cure this I have to take a special anti-pathogenic supplement and diet that involves minimising my intake of starch's and carbohydrates and eliminating any foods that could potentially have an allergenic effect such as gluten, dairy, yeast etc. I have to stay on this regime until January 15th 2011 which means most Christmas food is off the menu!

2, REDUCE BODYFAT DOWN TO A SUSTAINABLE LEVEL

With the above special diet related to my gut I have decided to use this as an opportunity to cut down on some body fat.

I have learned after many years of training that the cycle of 'bulking up' and cutting down is not very effective for gaining muscle, especially for a natural trainer. I intend in future to keep my bodyweight within five kilo's of my contest weight as this will make it easier to diet for future competitions. Adding muscle is a slow process that requires patiences and persistence. If you buy into the supplement or magazine hype of 'adding 5 kilo's of muscle in a month' then you are deluding yourself. This is pretty much impossible unless you have insane genetics for building muscle or are an absolute beginner who has never lifted a weight in their lives.

I’m currently around 10% and aim to get down to around 5-6% body fat which I will then maintain and then focus on getting stronger.

3, CONTINUE TO GET STRONGER RELATIVE TO MY BODYWEIGHT

My training focus is to continue to get stronger on basic compound movements such as chin-up's, presses, squats and deadlift’s. I believe these exercises give you the best 'bang for buck' if your goals is to add muscle, be lean and strong.

That is all for today, keep lifting hard!

Should you train when sick?

I have been asked this question many times by both clients and members in the gym. My answer is “it depends on how sick you feel”.

If you are just getting over something then a light workout is a good thing to stimulate blood flow to the body and release endorphins that will make you feel better.

However if you are very congested and low on energy and strength due to a cold or flu then its best to avoid the gym and opt for taking a brisk walk outside instead. The fresh air combined with the natural light will do much more for your recovery than grinding it out the in the gym. You should definitely avoid the gym if you have a fever.

Fresh air and natural light are very underrated in terms of recovery and overall health. Fresh air will help clear your congestion and the natural light will help you circadian rhythm which is especially important during winter for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

If you skip the gym then keep naturally you will need to adjust your food intake accordingly and eat less on that day. Avoid the stodge and comfort food. Eating to reflect your activity level is an easy to accomplish tip that will help you stay lean year round.

Quote of the day 13/10

“Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.”

- Abraham J. Heschel (theologian and philosopher)

Stuck in a Training Rut

I would like to address this common occurrence that I see in the gym. It seems often that gym goers get stuck doing their one routine, always performing the same exercises or body part pairings in the same order, very occasionally chucking a new exercise to ‘mix it up’.

I know how fast the body adapts to exercises through training my clients so it boggles how someone can go on and perform the same routine for months or even years and not stop to question “is this still working for me?” If the answer is that you haven’t lost any body fat, gained muscle or gotten stronger on your exercises then the answer is that your programme has stopped being effective.

It is necessary to adjust what you are doing every 6-8 weeks in order for the body to not become too adapted to any one routine. The saying ‘everything works’ is somewhat true, but only for while.

The body is a survival machine and is extremely quick at adapting to any stress that is placed on it through exercise. Every time you repeat an exercise for the same number of sets and repetitions the body will expend less energy on that task, as it has adapted to become more efficient against that demand.

So if for example your heart rate monitor tells you that your burned 400 calories running for 30 minutes it might well be correct the first time you run. Unfortunately every time you repeat that time and same distance your body adapts to expend less calories so in fact you might only burn 350 calories. It’s a war of diminishing returns!

This is why it is also why it is important to focus on progression on any exercise regime as this delays adaption and will lead to better results

If you are in the gym it’s important to have a clearly defined goal and constantly work towards that. If you are repeating the same exercises over and over, ‘going though the motions’ then I guarantee that you will not meet with much success and you are pretty much wasting your time.

Imagine learning how to drive but never progressing beyond switching on the ignition? How fruitless would that be? You’d never get anywhere and the same is true with exercise.

I applaud people who consistently make an effort to attend the gym but i'm afraid attendance isn't enough. There has to be progression and a challenge to the body. The body likes 'easy gear' so unless you push a bit out of the comfort zone you will give your body no reason to change.


Fear not, there is another way!

Try drastically changing what you are going with your workouts, you will be surprised what results you might start seeing after 6 weeks of a completely different training programme. There are thousands of routines to pick and choose from online. Or you can seek the help from a professional such as myself to get a more specific and focused regime tailor made to fit your goal.

The same applies to your eating. If what you are eating has remained the same for several months or even years and you haven’t lost any body fat or gained any muscle then its time to try something different!

Quote of the day 7/10/2010

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

Mario Andretti (racing driver)

A Clients Fantastic Results!

I thought I would share the results one of my clients as he is having such fantastic results.

Ray is 52 years old, 5'8/176cm. He didn't have any history of exercise or attending the gym. He came to me on advice of his doctor as he was quite depressed and wanted to try exercise to improve his outlook and state of mind.

Here are his measurements-

Date	28/06/2010	30/07/2010	30/08/2010	06/10/2010
Weight	12 stone/76.2kg	11.13 stone/70.6kg	11.13 stone/70.6kg	11.8 stone/73.8kg
Measurements
Chest	37 3/8"/94.2cm	37"/94cm	37 4/8"/95.2cm	37 4/8"/95cm
Waist	39 4/8"/100cm	38 4/8"/97.8cm	38"/96.5cm	35 7/8"/91cm
Calipers
Chest	-	-	11.5	11.1
Subscap	-	-	13	12.7
Lower Back	-	-	19.6	17
Tricep	-	-	13	9.5
Bicep	-	-	5.7	4.1
Abdomen	-	-	25	19.2
Supralliac	-	-	12	9
Thigh	-	-	12	10.7
Calf	-	-	11	8.8
Total	-	-	122.8	102.1
Body fat %	-	-	21.30%	16.97%
Lean body mass	-	-	122.32lbs/55.6kg	135lbs/61.8kg
Fat mass	-	-	33lbs/15kg	27.55lbs/12kg
Difference Lean	-	-	-	13.64lbs/6.2kg+
Difference Fat	-	-	-	6.6lbs/3kg -

As you can see when he started he weighed 12 stone/76.2 kilos. I didn't have my calipers at the time but I would have estimated his body fat to have been at least 25%.

In the first month of training his weight dropped from 12 stone/76.2 kilos to 11.13 stone/70.6 kilos. Again I didn't yet have calipers. His weight remained steady from July to August at 11.3 but I was not concerned as he was still visibly loosing body fat and increasing strength on his exercises. The measurements we did in August this time included the use of calipers. His body fat reading was 21.3%.

We measured again this week (October) and his body fat has now measured at 16.9%, but what is more dramatic than just his drop in body fat was his increase in muscle mass in the same period. He has lost 3 kilos in fat mass while gaining 6.2 kilo's in muscle.

I’m quite ashamed I didn't take photos from the start to track his progress as his transformation has been so dramatic. He always mentions that he can no longer fit in any of his clothes and his outlook on life has become a lot more positive and sunnier!

He is the perfect example of what results to expect when you train consistently and get your eating habits in order. Ray has been spot on with the eating plan I created for him from the start bar one KFC and this has contributed a massive part to his success. Well done and thank you Ray!

Fat loss through exercise alone doesn’t work

The most common thing I see in the gym that causes people to fail with their fat loss goal is exercising without changing their eating habits or making a very half-assed attempt at it.

To encourage your body to loose fat you have to create a calorie deficit. Exercise by itself is not a wholly efficient way of achieving this as it takes far more time and effort with exercise as opposed to not eating the food in the first place.

To illustrate- a Big Mac which contains 540 kcal could be eaten in a couple of minutes but it would take an average person (70kg’s) cycling at a moderate pace almost an hour to burn the same amount of calories.

Here is just one study that supports that exercise is not an effective way to loose weight-

http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/00958.2009

“These data suggest that when exercise is performed with energy replacement (i.e., energy balance is maintained), 24-h fat oxidation does not increase and in fact, may be slightly decreased. It appears that the state of energy balance is an underappreciated factor determining the impact of exercise on fat oxidation.”

It’s much easier to loose weight by eating less than it is than to try and try and burn off calories through exercise alone. Of course combining exercise with a dietary intervention has been shown to be the most effective method.

Please don’t just take my word for it, do some research yourself online and you will find so many more studies on the subject.

The definition of Gluttony is- “habitual eating to excess”.

Get real with yourself and realise that if you are overweight in the absence of disease (and it’s often the wrong food choices that cause the disease in the first place) then you are completely responsible for your current condition and that vey little will change unless you make changes to your eating habits. You simply eat too much or have eaten too much over an extended period of time. Trying to loose weight through exercise alone is an exercise in futility.

Quote of the day 15/9

I love this quote from Henry Rollins-

"The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you.... You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.

I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds."

– Henry Rollins.

Take Control of Your Life, Take Control of Your Waistline

Through years of training people I heard more excuses that I care to count as to why someone cannot loose weight.

Whatever the case may be, whether its your partner or family members pressuring you to indulge in high calorie foods or work colleagues inspiring you to spend hours after work drinking alcohol and eating pub food it all comes down the choices you make as to how you look.

People suffering from metabolic conditions such as hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome still had success loosing weight through dietary control and regular exercise.

Your results on your body shape will be directly proportionate to how 'bothered' you are by your current condition. If you are truly happy the way you look then power to you, i'm happy that you have found your ideal condition and there is no further reason for you to read on.

If you however are unhappy then you have to realise that sacrifices need to be made in order to make a change. What you are doing right now isn't working and continuing on that path is not going change your results. Albert Einstein was quoted in saying the "definition of Insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

If you are trying to loose weight but always playing catch up at the gym, trying to make up for bad eating habits combined with lack of sleep then you are bound to FAIL and keep failing until you change this.

My own status

When people see the lean physique I have achieved I often hear "oh you must have a fast metabolism". I happily respond to them that its quite the opposite, in fact I have recently been diagnosed with non-clinical hypothyroidism and my family also has a history of obesity and diabetes so do you still think I have an advantage? I have to work hard to loose body fat and keep it off at least as much as the average person.

Loosing weight comes down to a factor of calories in vs. calories out, in order to loose weight you must create a calorie deficit and this is best achieved through dietary control, trying to burn off excess calories through exercise alone is wholelly inefficient and ineffective.

Make a choice whether you want to get control of your waistline or not and stop making excuses.

Here 6 key points to weight loss success-

1. Figure out exactly what you want.
2. Commit to taking control of your life, you are the master of your own destiny!
   
3. Either teach yourself the principles of weight loss through self study or seek an expert to guide you.
4. Design an eating regime that creates a slow sustainable calorie deficit, crash dieting only works in the short term and will lead to a rebound in weight. You also want an eating regime that gives you an optimal balance of nutrients.
   
5. Perform a regular exercise regime that encompasses resistance training focusing primarily on large compound movements.
6. Stick to the plan for at least 6 months taking personal responsibility for all the dietary choices you make.

If you stick to these 6 steps I guarantee that you will have success in loosing body fat and improving your body shape.

Quote of the day 10/9

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

- Mahatma Gandhi

Always keep a record

Keeping a record in the form of a log book or training diary is an essential way of tracking your progress. Every single workout should have a progression of some form whether it be lifting more weight, performing more repetitions, performing more sets or doing more work in less time. You cannot rely on memory to remember everything you did last week with the information overload that surrounds us today.

Keeping a record makes it easier to plan ahead and then review your progress at a later date. It also gives you a target to shoot for which is important. Reviewing the log book a few hours before you workout is a good way to get mentally prepared for the task ahead. If you know you hit 5 reps last time then this time you have to shoot for at least 6, this little mental training tip can give you the edge you need to keep pressing forward with your goal.

When a training programme comes to an end, typically after 6-8 weeks you need to analysis it to see where you have progressed fastest and what areas have lagged behind. This allows you to plan your next training phase more effectively and target your weak points.

This is an format i use in my log book, an example of my workout today-

Date: 9/9/2010 15:00
Exercise Routine: Advanced GVT Arms
Mood: Good, restful sleep (I make further notes on food eaten, if the gym is busy etc as needed)
Exercises

Dynamic warm-up for shoulders and upper body

A1 Close Grip Bench Press
1, 80kg x 5
2, 80kg x 5
3, 80kg x 5
4, 80kg x 5
5, 80kg x 5
6, 80kg x 5
7, 80kg x 5
8, 80kg x 5
9, 80kg x 5
10, 80kg x 5
rest 90
A2 Incline Dumbbell Curl Fat Gripz
1, 14kg x 5
2, 14kg x 5
3, 14kg x 5
4, 14kg x 5
5, 14kg x 5
6, 14kg x 5
7, 14kg x 5
8, 14kg x 5
9, 14kg x 5
10, 14kg x 5
rest 90


B1 Preacher Reverse Grip Curl Fat Gripz
1, 22kg x 6
2, 22kg x 6
3, 22kg x 6
rest 90
B2 Overhead EZ Extension Fat Gripz
1, 32kg x 8
2, 32kg x 8
3, 32kg x 8
rest 90


C Machine Lateral Raise
1, 30kg x 15
2, 30kg x 12
3, 30kg x 12
4, 30kg x 12
rest 60

Time taken - 60 min’s

So take the time and invest in writing things down. It will help your progress faster, its also very satisfying to be able to look at records from years back to see how far you have progressed, which in itself provides further motivation.

Quote of the day 4/9

"You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do."

— Eleanor Roosevelt

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Quote of the day

"Thou seest how sloth wastes the sluggish body, as water is corrupted unless it moves."

- Ovid (Roman Poet)

Biceps training tip

Have your biceps grow recently, probably not?

Limit yourself to one exercise only; focusing on getting stronger on this movement and limit it to 4 good quality sets (full range, smooth tempo) after training a larger muscle group such as your back.

The principle of needing to hit a muscle such as the biceps from many angles which is often preached in bodybuilding magazines is irrelevant to the average gym trainer and is only relevant to the drug enhanced or advanced athlete.

Good exercise choices could be the incline dumbbell curl or a reverse grip preacher curl.

Martyn
(yes the picture is me)

Quote of the day 29/8

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. "

-Benjamin Franklin

Are you ready to take the leap?

Starting on a journey towards a healthier, fitter lifestyle can be a terrifying prospect. It takes a leap of faith to commit yourself down that road.

Fear and insecurities will arise: “what if people look at me funny in the gym”, “will my partner still like me if I get fit” “what if I make a fool of myself”, “what if I fail”. The fear will not go away but you can control how you handle the fear.

To deal with these fears you first need to establish exactly what you want to achieve. Write this down.

Next put a time frame on achieving your goal. Remember when you were studying how a time limit put pressure on you to perform better and cram in the work no matter what?

Commit yourself to your goal 100%; make failure not an option. Remember you are completely in control of the experience of the transformation and also the outcome. You are aiming for this goal because YOU WANT TO, not because once you have achieved it you will feel better about yourself.

Be firm and put your family and friends in their place if they attempt to sabotage or steer you away from your goals. Often the people you are closest to will try to influence you away from the goal or subtly criticise you; “you are getting too thin, here have some cake” or “your obsessed with exercise” The reason they do this is because they fear change and are often too afraid to make that positive change themselves. Do not let them drag you back down; you might even inspire them one day to start down the path!

Next step is to create a method to achieve this goal. Firstly look at how you are looking after your body.

Are you getting enough sleep and handling everyday stresses?
Are you drinking enough water?
Are you feeding your body the right foods?

If you are not sure of the answers these questions then spend time doing some research online or seek the help of a professional who can guide you. This might be a Nutritionist, Life Coach or maybe even a Phycologist.

Next if your transformation is going to include starting a fitness regime then again do some research and seek out a trainer who knows what the hell they are doing. Here are some tips on how to choose a good trainer-

1, Spend your time researching their backgrounds both in the gym and online.

2,Observe how they train other people. You want someone who is going to push you and make you work harder than you would by yourself. You do not want a trainer who is going to spend an hour with you discussing what they did at the weekend.

3, Do they practice what they preach themselves? I overheard a trainer complain recently that they can "never get lean". Would you want this person training you for fat loss??

4, You want someone who is safe and will not cause you injury.

5, Do they invest time and money into providing a professional service and business or are they in the industry because they can get paid over £30 per hour after only completing a 6-12 week course.

6, Spend a bit of time on youtube looking at what is good technique and them compare it with what you see them teaching in the gym.

Achieving your goal, whether it be weight loss or gaining muscle takes time a time and dedication. You need to be ready to make the changes; if you are only prepared to dedicate 50% effort then you are wasting both your time and money.

Spice it up to melt the fat

Adding Cayenne pepper to your meals has shown to have fat burning benefits.



Epidemiological data (data gathered from population studies) indicates the consumption of capsaicin rich foods such as cayenne and other peppers is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity.

In a human study conducted at the Division of Kinesiology, in Québec, Canada, the addition of red pepper to meals significantly increased diet-induced thermogenesis (heat production) and lipid oxidation (the burning of fat for energy). In a second study, results show that the intake of red pepper decreases appetite.

In recent research there is evidence that capsaicin from cayenne and other chilli peppers may inhibit the growth of fat cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is found in muscle and other human tissue. AMPK has been found to regulate eating behaviour and energy expenditure, and AMPK activation also stimulates hepatic and skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation.

Now just because you put on some cayenne pepper onto you food it doesn't mean you can get away with eating rubbish food. To loose weight a calorie deficit still needs to be created either through food or exercise. Cayenne pepper will however speed up your quest to loose fat.

De-load to progress

The key to any successful training programme whether you goal is to loose weight or gain muscle is progress. You have to force your body to do more. This can be achieved by either-

Increasing the weight you are using (getting stronger)
Increasing the volume of the workout (number of sets)
Performing more repetitions with the same weight
Performing the same amount of effort but in less time (increasing training density)

The problem with progression beyond a certain point ceases to be linear. If we could progress in a linear fashion forever everyone would be squatting, benching and dead lifting over 500 kg’s.

De-loading, i.e. reducing the amount of weight you are using or reducing the volume every 3rd workout has been shown to lead to greater gains in muscle and strength over a longer period. By de-loading every 3rd workout you will give your body much needed time to recover and catch up. Using this method you are also much less likely to hit a plateau.

Here is just one example of how you could de-load using a bench press-

Workout 1- 100kg’s x 10
Workout 2- 105kg’s x 10
Workout 3- 102.5kg’s x 10
Workout 4- 105kg’s x 10
Workout 5- 107.5kg’s x 10
Workout 6- 105kg;s x 10

So you can see over a 6 week period you have included 2 de-load’s. Now you can see that your 10 rep max for your bench press has increased 5% over that 6 week period, not bad eh?

Question- How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Getting stronger and making progress in the gym takes time and consistent effort. If you stay disciplined to the method and perform eight 6 week training cycles over a course of a year then you could potentially increase your bench press from 100kg's to 147.7kg's, that’s a 47% increase!

As you get stronger you will find that you might struggle to increase the weight in 5% jumps and will have to resort to 2% or even 1% increments. Stick at it though as its still progress.

If your gyms weight plates only go up in 1.25kg's increments this limits you to adding 2.5 kilo's to the bar every time. Increasing the weight too quickly will cause you to hit a plateau faster. To get around this I recommend investing in some Fractional Plates or plate mates as these will allow you to progress slowly and in the right percentage increments.

Never sacrifice form trying to lift more weight or impress your buddies, it’ll usually end up in stagnation and injury. Train smarter, not harder.

'I don't want to get bulky'

A successful FAT loss programme involves preserving muscle tissue while forcing your body to burn fat as energy. Crash dieting where the focus is on overall weight loss rather than burning fat results in a reduced metabolic rate and is almost always followed by a Yo-Yo where the weight is regained.

Following a weight training regime where you focus on getting stronger will force your body to metabolise body fat while at the same time toning your muscles. Now I hear women all the time scream that they don't want to get 'bulky'. This is a misguided fear as muscle is denser than fat and therefore takes up less surface area.

There is also secondary factor that precludes women from getting 'bulky' and achieving same level of muscle size as a man; this is Testosterone. Women on average possess 16 times less Testosterone than men which means its impossible to reach the same level of muscularity.

Example-

Client 1
Bodyweight- 10 stone/63.5 kilo's
Bodyfat percentage- 30 %
Total Fat Mass- 3 stone/19.05 kilo's
Total Lean Mass- 7 stone/44.45 kilo's

Client 2
Bodyweight- 10 stone/63.5 kilo's
Bodyfat percentage- 20 %
Total Fat Mass- 2 stone/12.7 kilo's
Total Lean Mass- 8 stone/50.8 kilo's

You can see that both clients weigh exactly the same, but the difference in fat mass relative to lean mass is quite dramatic. Client 2 will have a much greater degree of 'leaness' and will feel much smaller in her clothes; far from bulky!

Here is a picture to illustrate the size difference of fat compared to muscle-



Focusing on what your bodyweight is composed of rather than you overall bodyweight is the key to any sucessful fat loss regime.

Comedy that bites

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you cannot lose fat. Although the above video is meant to be humor there is something behind it. The basic premise of fat loss is to expend more calories than you are eating. Less excuses and more action!

Quote of the day 22/8

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

- Bruce Lee

Magnesium: Are you getting enough?

Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral found in the body. ‘Modern Living’ means dietary intake of Magnesium is often too low due to the overreliance on eating processed foods and a lack of fibrous green vegetables in the diet. Also the depletion of minerals in the soil due to intensive farming methods means that our foods today (even whole foods) contains fewer nutrients than 50 years ago.

Low levels of Magnesium contribute to symptoms of fatigue/weakness, problems/inability to sleep, weakening of the bones (osteoporosis), muscle tension/spasms, Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Headaches, Anxiousness, Nervousness, irritability and kidney stones. Magnesium levels have also been shown to be low in people with Diabetes.

Having low levels of Magnesium with any of the above symptoms will inhibit exercise performance and can also influence bad food choices. Many people will opt for sweet foods or more caffeine when feeling irritable or tired to give them a ‘boost’.

Food

Some great food sources of magnesium from the highest to the lowest are - Pumpkin seeds, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Spinach, Green beans and broccoli. If you haven’t already boost your intake of green vegetables, nuts and seeds. Stay away from processed carbohydrates that are depleted of minerals.

Bath

Another great way to boost your magnesium intake is to have a magnesium bath before you go to bed. Adding Magnesium Sulphate commonly named as ‘Epsom Salts’ to your baths helps replenish depleted Magnesium levels in the body. Dissolve 500 grams of Magnesium Salts in a warm bath, this much is needed to achieve the right concentration and remain in the bath for 20 minutes.

Supplements

Taking 300-400mg of Magnesium Citrate, Malate, Glycinate, L-Aspartate Oroate or Lysinate 45 minutes before bed is a great way to ensure deep nights sleep.

If you are a male and want to optimise testosterone levels getting the magnesium from a combined Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6 product (ZMA) would be the best option. Avoid Magnesium Oxide, Oxide forms of minerals are typically badly absorbed by the body and are a waste of money.

Whats in your ice cream?

The ingredients you will find in Ice cream has changed dramatically over the years. Ice cream used to consist of only sugar, eggs, cream, milk, and a natural flavouring. With large food manufacturers attempting to maximise products a lot of these ingredients have become synthetic and the ice cream you are now eating is truly Frankenstein food-

High fructose corn syrup: This has replaced regular sugar which in itself is not good if eaten to excess. High fructose corn syrup had become used widely in processed foods low cost and high level of sweetness. Use of high fructose corn syrup along with overconsumption of processed foods has been linked to the ever growing problem of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Diethylglycol: A cheap chemical used as an emulsifier instead of eggs is the same chemical used in antifreeze and in paint removers

Piperonal: Used in place of Vanilla flavour. This chemical is used to kill lice.

Aldehyde C-17: Used to flavour cherry ice cream. It is an inflammable liquid also used in aniline dyes, plastic and rubber

Ethyl Acetate: Used to give ice cream a pineapple flavour – and as a cleaner for leather and textiles; its vapours have been known to cause chronic lung, liver and heart damage.

Butyraldehyde: Used in nut flavoured ice cream. It is one of the ingredients in rubber cement.

Amyl Acetate: Used for its banana flavour. It is also used as an oil paint solvent.

Benzyl Acetate: Used for its strawberry flavour. It is a nitrate solvent.

Palm Oil: Introduced to ice creams to replace Trans Fats a 2006 study showed that ingestion of palm oil results in adverse changes in the blood concentrations of LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B just as trans fat does.

There are also often other E number, bulking agents and Polyols added futher water reduce the cost of producing the product.

Where does ice cream fit into a diet?

Ice cream due to its combination of high sugar and fat levels is not the ideal food to include in your diet if you are trying to loose weight. Eaten in moderation and infrequently Ice cream containing only natural ingredients can be a tasty addition to a person’s diet without too many negatives effects

Brands of ice cream that contain only natural ingredients include Mövenpick and Häagen-Dazs®.

There is also a new product which will be available in all major supermarkets from September that is an alternative to ice cream called worthenshaws. This is a dairy and sugar free alternative to ice cream that is low in calories and contains only natural ingredients. Its ingredients are Manuka Honey & Organic Coconut, Brown Rice Milk, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Echinacea. If you watch Dragons Den you would have seen this products.

To summarise on choosing the right products. Read you labels and if there are more than 5 or 6 ingredients in the don’t eat it

Quote of the day 11/8

"Time And health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. "

- Denis Waitley

Nutrition Tip: Protein on the go

It can be difficult to fit in those protein meals when out of the office and the sandwich options available from many shops are far too low in protein and high in carbohydrates.

Unfortunately most of the 'protein bars' on the market are filled with lots of undesirable additives such as polyoils, artificial sweeteners and bulking agents. Also the protein they contain is often of an inferior/low grade blend so they do not provide a much better option.

The only protein bar on the market in the UK that i would recommend would be the Paleo bar. They come in chocolate/almond, coconut/almond, chocolate, mixed berry and vanilla flavours. They are full of high quality whey protein, fatty acids, glutamine and phosphatidylcholine. They are free of artificial flavourings and additives.

Another great option when on the go is Beef Jerky. It stores for along time and is high in protein and low in fat. I get my Beef Jerky products from www.myprotein.co.uk

Another old school yet simple option is to boil some eggs the night before then refrigerate them. Boiled eggs keep for many hours when travelling and are a great source of protein, fatty acids, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin D and choline. Choose Omega 3 eggs as these are packed full of Omega 3 fatty acids for which most people do not get enough of in their diet.

Vitamin D deficiency Article

Here is an article on how prevalent vitamin D deficiency is in the world today-

University of California - Riverside (2010, July 19). More than half the world's population gets insufficient vitamin D, says biochemist. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715172042.htm

The best sources of vitamin D are oily fish such as salmon, Cod liver oil, Omega 3 Eggs and butter from grass fed cows. Vitamin D is also produced during sun exposure but unfortunately most people in the UK do not get enough of this.

You can easily get you vitamin D levels tested through in your blood. Make sure that the test is for 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels as this is the active form of the vitamin.

Why I do what I do?

I get asked sometimes what motivated me to become a personal trainer?

Well as a child I was brought up in a household that consisted of my father who was suffering from Coronary Heart Disease and stroke and my mother who was suffered from Bi-Polar disorder. My father’s side of the family all suffer from obesity, diabetes and general Ill health so I myself have a higher risk factor to these illnesses.

I believe that no mater how more genetically predisposed you might be to certain illnesses I believe that you can live a healthy and energised lifestyle if only you make the effort.

I absolutely believe that the correct nutrition and the right prescription of exercise is the best preventative medicine for the majority of illnesses becoming so common in our society.

My mission is to help and educate people who want to stand out from the crowd and culture of un-wellness and live a wholesome and long life absent of preventable diseases and illness.

Regular exercise combined with the right nutrition also leads to a better looking body which in turn helps improve self esteem and confidence. I know it has helped me and numerous clients feel better about themselves and more able to face the challenges that life throws at us.

I believe I am most effective in this world when I am helping people and I derive great satisfaction from doing this.

Eat your butter

Common wisdom dictates that you should eliminate butter from your diet as it contains too much cholesterol and saturated fat which if eaten in excess can lead to coronary heart disease.

A Meta analysis was released in 2009 by the American Journal of Clinical nutrition. It combined data from 21 unique studies that included almost 350,000 people, about 11,000 of whom developed cardiovascular disease (CVD), tracked for an average of 14 years, and concluded that there is no relationship between the intake of saturated fat and the incidence of heart disease or stroke.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1

Butter is a source of essential Vitamin A and Vitamin D. The cholesterol contained in butter is another essential nutrient needed for creation of hormones in the body such as estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, testosterone, and serotonin. It is also involved in the creation of bile salts which are essential to digestion and they contribute to maintaining the health of the intestinal wall.

When buying butter make your choice carefully. Go for Organic butter, ideally sourced from cows fed on grass pastures. This will minimise contamination by antibiotics and the butter will also contain a better fatty acid profile.

I caution you not to overheat fats, you can normally smell when this happens and they will also tend to smoke. Even the healthiest fats can be converted to 'trans fats' when exposed to high temperatures. Trans fats have been linked to a host of illnesses and medical conditions. Instead butter is best used when melted on top of seamed vegetables or added to home made sauces.

Rather than elimating saturated fat from your diet, focus more on reducing your intake of carbohydrates. Here is a link to a study on why excess carbohydrates raise risk for heart disease-

Tel Aviv University (2009, June 27). How High Carbohydrate Foods Can Raise Risk For Heart Problems. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625133215.htm

My Advanced Flexibility course

I today completed my Advanced Flexibility course which further expands on my qualifications. It was an educational and fun packed day. The course was run by Scott Burton, one of the senior lecturers at WABBA Qualifications. I first met Scott back in 2004 when I did my initial qualifications. His lessons are informative and incorporate a lot of practical lessons to improve the learning process.

I would highly recommend a WABBA course to anyone who is thinking of becoming a personal trainer, their standards are very high and I believe you will learn a lot more from a WABBA course compared to some of the other training providers on the market. Please visit their website for more information- www.wabba.co.uk

One very interesting piece of information i learned today is that once you stretch a muscle to a new range a motion, the benefits only last 11 hours, after which the muscle will return to its original length. So if you are trying to improve your flexibility in a specific are you need to stretch that muscle at least twice a day to see a noticeable improvement. I have unconsciously been doing this with my own flexibility as I practice a stretching routine in the morning upon waking then stretch again after I train in the afternoon.

* Flexibility is an important part of the training as it increases a muscles range of motion which allows for more space inside the muscle to grow.

* It also reduces the soreness post workout (have you ever forgotten to stretch and felt agony the next day?).

* Posture will also be improved if a stretching routine focuses on the tight muscles that are pulling the body out of alignment.

Flexibility is similar to strength in that it takes time to develop it and then plenty of work to maintain it.

Get stretching today.

Quote of the day 31/7

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.”

-Josiah Charles Stamp

Energy drinks

People in Britain are becoming ever more reliant on energy drinks. The market for energy drinks has grown massively in the last few years. If you look on shelves now you can find examples such as Red bull, Rock star, Lucozade with caffeine and many supermarket branded versions. Unfortunately Diabetes is also growing at a massive rate throught the country.

The main ingredient of these energy drinks is caffeine and sugar. The problem with using these for energy is that they only give you a temporary boost followed by a energy crash as your blood sugar levels drop. This leads to cravings of having more sugary drinks or food to raise your blood sugar levels. The excess sugar contained in these drinks leads to body fat gain. It also plays havoc on your pancreas; the organ that is responsible for the production and release of Insulin to control blood sugar.

Here is the sugar content of some of the popular branded energy drinks-

Red bull 8.3 oz (250 ml) Can - 27g's of sugar (equvilent to 5 1/2 teaspoons of sugar)

Rock star 16oz (473ml) can of Rockstar there are 62g's of sugar (12.4 teaspoons of sugar)

Lucozade - 380 ml bottle - There is 52.4 grams of sugar (10.5 teaspoons of sugar)

Excess sugar in the diet has been linked to a host of health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, glycation of tissues and metabolic syndrome.

Having too much caffeine in your diet has also been shown to raise cortosil; the stress hormone. When levels of cortisol are high the body will store fat around the midsection and belly area.

If you are relying on 'energy drinks' or even carbonated beverages such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi for energy then there is some serious work to do done with your eating. A good eating regime should provide you with all the energy you need with out the addition of sugary 'energy' drinks.

Take action today before the damage is done.

"health" Advice from your "Doctor"

“Why so serious!” If you don’t have a sense of humor or can’t tell the difference between what is a joke and what is serious PLEASE don’t read any further. (I borrowed this from another blog, thanks Jon)

Advice from your doctor:

Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. So have a cup now and then!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain…Good!

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!! ….. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It’s the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

Please remember:
‘Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – Chardonnay in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘WOO HOO, What a Ride’!

AND…..

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans or Australians.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans or Australians.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans or Australians.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans or Australians.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans or Australians.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Quote of the day 28/7

"The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs."

- Joan Didion

You have no one to blame but yourself

It shocks me how people so easily shirk personal responsibility when it comes to their own health.

It’s always something or someone else’s fault that they can't get the body and health they desire-

“The boss made me drink 10 pints”

“I just couldn't resist my wives home baked cookies.”


WAKE UP PEOPLE!

You are completely in control of the fuel you put into your body and how you treat it.

If you tried to run your car on sunflower oil do you think it would run for very long? The same applies for feeding your own body with the wrong fuels.

Also if you decided one day that you could no longer be bothered to walk your dog how long do you think it would take before the dog would lose condition and develop various behavioural disorders linked to inactivity. The human body is designed to move and without this activity the mental state of the body can also break down.

If you have people in your life who you would class as a bad influence then you need to do something about it. Someone who truly loves you does not consciously poison you and jeopardise your health. If they are ignorant to what they are doing then you need to educate them, open up their eyes to reality.

If you yourself are ignorant to what you are doing wrong; i.e. you cannot understand why you can't loose weight, sleep well, have no energy, or always get injuries then you yourself need to get educated.

Breakfast cereals

In 1960 researchers at Ann Arbor University performed an interesting experiment on laboratory rats. Eighteen rats were divided into three groups. One group received cornflakes and water; a second group was given the cardboard box that the cornflakes came in and water; and the control group received rat chow and water.

The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats receiving the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. But the rats receiving the cornflakes and water died before the rats who were given the box - the last cornflake rat died the day the first box rat died.

Before death the cornflake rats developed schizophrenic behavior, threw fits, bit each other, and finally went into convulsions. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves in the spine- all signs of
"insulin shock".

The startling conclusion of this study is that there is more nourishment in the box that cold breakfast cereals come in that in the cereals themselves. Loren Zanier, designer of the experiment, actually proposed the protocol as a joke. But the results are far from funny.

They were never published and similar studies have not been repeated. If consumers knew the truth about breakfast cereals, vast fortunes would be jeopardized.


Another study

Another stufy was described by Paul Stitt who wrote about an experiment conducted by a cereal company in which four sets of rats were given special diets. One group received plain whole wheat, water and synthetic vitamins and minerals. A second group received puffed wheat (an extruded cereal), water and the same nutrient solution. A third set was given only water. A fourth set was given nothing but water and chemical nutrients.

The rats that received the whole wheat lived over a year on this diet. The rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived about two months. The animals on water alone lived about a month. But the company’s own laboratory study showed that the rats given the vitamins, water and all the puffed wheat they wanted died within two weeks—they died before the rats that got no food at all. It wasn’t a matter of the rats dying of malnutrition. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock.

Results like these suggested that there was something actually very toxic in the puffed wheat itself! Proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the pressure of the puffing process may produce chemical changes, which turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance.

Think about this the next time you are feeding breakfast cereals to your kids or eating them yourself.

Lifting Explosively

Here’s a little tip that might help spark new growth in your muscles.

The next time you perform a workout try to focus on lifting the weight as fast as possible.

Now if you are using a heavy weight the bar or dumbbell might not move very fast but just the intension of trying to move the weight faster has been shown to activate more muscle fibres, specifically the fast twitch muscle fibres which have the most potential for growth.

Don't confuse explosive with sloppy. Its important to keep your form/technique perfect otherwise you are risking injury, don't try to lift weights explosively that are too heavy for you to handle. Also remember my previous tip of lowering the weight slowly, taking advantage of the eccentric contraction.

Get in the gym and give it a try!

Back in the saddle

I have returned after 2 weeks of sunny holiday in Tenerife. I managed to continue to train out there 3 x per week with limited equipment and weight.

The break has given my body a good rest and I now feel fully recovered from my long contest preperation. I am eager to get back to hard and heavy training again!

Here is a quote i rather like-

"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."

- Frank Lloyd Wright, 1869-1959

Quote of the day 8/7

"Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get."

- Dale Carnegie

In Celebration of 'National Chest and Biceps Day'

It seems that in almost any gym I step into the weights room on a Monday becomes a ‘National Chest and Biceps day’. It’s possible to see a tumbleweed passing by the squat rack and chin-up bar on this day.

Try something bold and switch the days you are training body parts. Make Monday your back day, helping fix those rounded Neanderthal shoulders.

Or be even more brave and train legs HARD on Monday; this means using DEEP squats, lunges and deadlift variations. Using a few sets of leg extensions, leg curls and a few leg presses does not count as a hard leg session.

Changing the days you train body parts will help kick start new growth in your muscles and also leg you address that common chest to back imbalance that is so common in gyms these days!

Wonder why your shoulders hurt? Well if you can lift 1 ½-2 times the weight on your chest that you can on your back then you have a serious structural imbalance problem. Start training smarter today. If you are benching more than you can squat that would also indicate a problem!

In Celebration of 'National Chest and Biceps Day'

Quote of the day 6/7

"Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward."

-Napolean Hill

Quote of the day 2/7

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments."

- Jim Rohn

Train faster, talk less!

For some people the gym is as much a social event as an opportunity to workout. Unfortunately spending too much time talking and resting between sets will decrease the results you get from your training significantly.

If your goal is maximum hypertrophy (muscle size) you want to fully overload the muscle; by resting too long between sets you are giving your body too much time to recover and decreasing the effectiveness of the workout.

There are certain styles of exercise where a long rest is appropriate. Power lifting training for example requires longer rest periods due to the demands it places on the nervous system when lifting maximal weights (85%+ 1RM).

As most people’s goal is an aesthetic one rather than one of maximal strength limit your rest periods to 45-180 seconds. The added benefit of having less rest is that you will have a greater rise in your growth hormone and testosterone levels.

Muscle is built outside of the gym when you rest; exercise is only the stimulus.

Train hard, train briefly then go home and give your body the correct nutrition. Make sure to get enough quality sleep also. There's a reason babies sleep so much; it's because they are on growth overdrive!

Quote of the day 28/6

"Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward."

-Napolean Hill

Quote of the day 24/6

"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."

- Foster C. Mcclellan

BNBF Southern Show 2010 Contest write up

The 2nd show is over and so to my contest diet, at least for now.

Results

I competed in the lightweight under 72kgs category. There we 8 competitors in my class and it was a quality line up. This show was much more competitive with there being weight classes and the competitors we also all more obviously natural athletes.

I place 4th which earned me a qualification to the British finals being held in Edinburgh, Scotland in September. I earned a nice trophy for my mantle piece also.



Here are the top 4

1 Chris Redmond
2 Scott Galton
3 Lee Wilson
4 Martyn Sklayne

1st - Chris Redmond- brought in a top conditioned physique with nice balance and lines along with good posing. His tan was a Great colour that really highlighted his physique against the powerful stage lights. He also had the funniest posing routine of the night, doing his own version of the ‘I want to break free’ video using a vacuum cleaner. as a prop

2nd - Scott Galaton- This was Scott’s first time competing. He brought in a lot of thick balanced muscle onto his small along with great conditioning and crazy legs. He also was awarded the ‘Best Wheels’ (Legs) in the show, outclassing even the heavyweights in the leg department.

3rd – Lee Wilson- Lee brought in a nice balanced physique onto his taller frame, presenting a good set of arms, solid posing and presentation.

4th- Martyn Sklayne- I will summerise what I thought below.

Peak week diet

There were some minor changes to the diet leading up to the show as the show was over one day and not two. The levels of food intake were not changed dramatically. This seemed again to work very well.

I maintained my sodium intake at 2-2.5grams per day and I was drinking 7.5 litres of water a day up until the day of the show. On the day of the show the sodium was cut back and my water intake was halved. This allowed my body to ‘dry out’ while still helping the muscles to remain full.

On the day of the show this time I reduced my carbohydrate intake a bit to bring me in a bit tighter but balanced this with more steak that increased the fat and helped me keep feeling full.
Backstage

The show was held in a proper theatre so we were provided with a dressing room to prepare. I found that as I applied oil backstage and also started to pump up my muscles appeared a bit flat so I upped my water intake, sipping more aggressively and also had some ‘cheat food’ in the form of muffins and some pizza to help fill out my body.

When you are in such good condition and have eaten clean food for so long the body is quite responsive to this ‘cheat food’ and it helps quickly fill out the muscles and increase the Vascularity.

Condition



Again I was very happy with how my physique looked as my goal is to always improve on a previous condition. I was harder from the front and back and was starting to see a lot more striations in the muscles being displayed as I posed.

I needed to be tighter and leaner from the back still. I included some high intensity interval training in the last week of the preparation which helped this but I think I could have needed a bit more to really bring out the posterior leg detail.

I still think that I can get in even better condition for any future shows and have not reached my peak yet.

Tan

The tanning protocol I used this time worked a lot better than the previous show. This time I opted to use Pro-Tan and Jan Tana products instead of dream tan.

From Friday night we started to apply coats of Pro-Tan, applying 2 more coats on Saturday. This was to build up a base of colour first. Then on Saturday evening we then started to apply the Jan Tana product along with a second coat on Sunday morning. The Jan Tana product has much more of a darker ‘chocolate’ colour to it and really looked helped bring out the muscle definition.

A huge thanks to my girlfriend for her labours helping me apply the tan!

Backstage I applied a posing oil lightly to my body which helps to highlight the muscles under the stage lights. In the morning I think the amount of posing I used was just right. On reflection I think for the evening show I maybe applied just a bit too much which didn’t look quite as good.

Lesson learned- don’t overdo it on the posing oil!


Posing



I think my posing improved a bit in this show which was a benefit to my physique. I still think it needs much more practice and refinement but this will come over time as I get more contest experience. I think my ‘Side chest’ pose and ‘Side triceps’ pose improved for this show.

I still know that that I need more size in my arms, upper chest and shoulders to balance out some of my other poses, especially the ‘most muscular’ poses.

This show had a 60 second posing routine rather than 90 seconds. Again it went well and the music was popular to the audience. I again posed to 'Killing in the Name of' by Rage Against the Machine.

Other competitors



The guys I met on the day were all fantastic. There was a real camaraderie and everyone was happy to share weights and help each other when pumping up.

The competition was a tough line up and there were some quality physiques on display. I was outclassed in areas such as my condition and also there are still areas of my body I need to balance out such as my arms, shoulders and upper chest.

I will continue to improve my own physique and make myself more competitive over time.

Judging



I thought the judging was excellent and I have no quarrel over who was placed where. We were compared fairly many times and I was called out to pose in almost every line up, they made me work hard! I’m quite proud that I was the 1st person to be called out in our category at the pre-judging.

All the judges are competitive bodybuilders themselves and there are a strong bond of keeping the BNBF for and run by bodybuilders.

The Show

I very much enjoyed this show; it was much better run than the previous outing.

The venue was a theatre so we had proper dressing room space backstage. The show was run like a stage production to a timetable with good lighting and acoustics. In summery it was an excellent venue.

Backstage was run well, there was generally good communication although there was some confusion and lack of communication with a interval planned half way during the night show. This forced some of the competitors who has been ‘pumping up’ to stop and then start again when the show resumed.

Stage control was great, with good communication and organisation. We were provided with water backstage and a selection of sweets (to help fullness and condition).
Overall I give a big thumbs up the BNBF for the organisation and running of the show, great job guys and girls!

Verdict

Another fantastic experience in my journey onto the bodybuilding stage. I again met some great people, achieved my own goals of looking the best I’ve ever been and learned some valuable lessons that will benefit me in any future shows I compete in.

Where to now?

With my 4th place earning me a qualification to the British Finals in September I have a decision to make as to if I am going to compete in this also. I have a holiday coming up soon so I have decided to make the decision whether or not to compete after this.

I plan on slowly increasing my food intake now to at least a maintenance level so that I am not loosing or gaining weight before the holiday as this is important for my health.

It needs to be done measured and slowly as the body after a 21 week diet will have slowed its metabolism and its natural hormone levels will be a bit suppressed. If I were to immediately switch to a food intake after the show I would most likely put on a lot of bad weight quickly which I don’t want to do. No rebounds!



Thanks

I would like to thank Coco, my girlfriends cousin for driving us to the event and also coming to watch me.

I would like to thank my girlfriend the most for the assistance and care all during my dieting for these shows. She was also was amazing in helping me prepare and apply my tan. She has already expressed her support for me should I choose to do the British Finals in September and for this I am extremely grateful.

I have ordered the professional photos and will get them posted up once they arrive also.

For more photos please go here-

http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv336/mfitness81/BNBF%20Southern%20Championships%202010/

Please keep posted for more updates on the blog, I will keep this active and a source of motivation, nutrition and training knowledge.

Thanks to all who have followed my progress.