Martyn's Current Off Season Condition

I am often asked what sort of shape I am in when not competing so I thought I would post up a couple of pictures. 

As you can see I am not in competition shape but I am far from out of shape either. Gaining muscle in the off season does mean a green card to getting sloppy and out of shape. However it also doesn't mean restricting yourself to bland and boring foods. I will post up an article soon about eating and how it can be interesting and varied while being in good shape. 

Please forgive the expression! :-)

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.

BNBF Contest Results

I just competed in the BNBF Southern Championships on Sunday. I competed in the under 72kg's Lightweight category. I weighted in at around 64.5kg's on the day of the show.

There were 8 competitors in my class and I placed 4th place which gave me an invitation to the British Championships, held in Scotland in September and a nice little trophy. I was happy with my condition on the day and had a fantastic time. I will post a more detailed contest update in the next few days.

Here are some pictures from the show; I will post up some better pictures once they arrive.



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

Getting tanned up

Saturday is the start of my application of my tan. I am using pro-tan for this show and I will be applying 4-5 layers of it for the show. Its in spray form with an applicator so its easy to apply.

On the day of the show #i will using posing oil to enhance the definition on stage.

Week 21 Progress Update

Here are pictures for week 21. I have 4 days left until show time on Sunday

Weight is 63.9kg's








Food has remained the same but i have added some extra cardio in the last few days just to shed that last layer of bodyfat.

Peak week for the 20th of June

Today I have started my peak week in preparation for the show next Sunday.

*I have again upped my water intake to 7.5 litres per day, this will come down right before the show.

*I am now also measuring my sodium intake to keep it at least 2.5grams per day, this is important with the volume of water I am drinking.

*Training will not be too intense in the week leading up to the show as I want to make sure the body is fresh for the weekend.

* I will begin to start applying coats of tan from Wednesday as to allow a deep enough base to develop and be nice and dark for competition day.

Week 20 Progress Update

Here are pictures for week 20. I have 1 1/2 weeks left until the next show on June 20th.

Weight is 65.3kg's





Weight is up a tiny bit from last week although I am still getting noticeably leaner. There is more separation coming though on my shoulders and arms especially. Legs might look a little bit softer today as I trained them heavy yesterday so i can't really squeeze them hard for the photos!

I have now added 15 min’s of cardio training at the end of my workouts to help dial in the last details in time for the show. I will start my tanning next week as I want to make sure I have a better finish for this next show.

Food remains the same as last week, 225 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbohydrate, and 40 grams of fat per day.

2nd Show coming up

I will be competing in the BNBF Southern Championships in the Under 70kg's catagory on Sunday 20th June 2010.

Venue

Alexandra Theatre
Belmont Street
Bognor Regis
Po21
http://www.alexandratheatre.co.uk/

Spectator Tickets- Can be bought at the door.

BNBF Telephone Number for enquiries- 01738 446 006

I am currently finding out how is best to buy specator tickets for the Bognor event and how much they will cost. I will post them as soon as I Know.

Nutrition Update 5

There are 2 1/2 weeks to go until the next show on June 20th. My aim is to take off the last bit of bodyfat before that contest and come in even better, more shredded condition.




Contrary to what many people do I didn't binge out straight after the contest. Instead I enjoyed a nice sirloin steak with mixed vegetables with my girlfriend. I brought up my water intake back to normal and I was straight back to my diet the following day.

I have gone back to eating around 225 grams of protein (excluding amino acids), 150 grams of carbohydrate and 40 grams of fat per day. This might be changed depending on how my weight changes over the next few days.

My energy levels are good and I feel focused and able to train hard for the next show.

Week 19 Progress Update

Here are pictures for week 19. I have 2 1/2 weeks left until the next show on June 20th.

Weight is 65.1kg's





I took monday off from training to recover from the show but I am back to training hard and heavy again. I now intend to fit as many workouts in as my body allows before the next show to really strip off the last bit of bodyfat. I will listen to my body and have rest days when feel I need it.

Week 1 to Week 18 Comparison

Here is a comparison of when i started my diet compared to how i looked sunday morning on the 2nd day of the show. The same camera was used.

Weight was 75.5kg's





Weight here is 65.5kg's





This was achieved solely through creating a calorie deficit by eating the correct number of Protein, Carbohydrate and Fats in my diet over an 18 week period. I have another competition in 3 weeks so I will diet for a further 3 weeks in the aim of getting even leaner for the next show.

I did not add any additional cardiovascular training beyond the normal cycle commute I undertake most days.

I did not use any stimulant fat burning products that are supposed to encourage fat metabolism, I don't like the feeling i get from stimulants. I prefer to be in touch with my bodies natural energy levels and able to listen to it.

My style of training did not change. I still lifted as heavy as I could in a power-bodybuilding style of training. I typically trained 4 days per week with each workout lasting around an hour.

FAME London 2010 - Contest Writeup

The weekend is over and the FAME UK Championship show passes for another year.

Results

In first place in the mens bodybuilding was Halle Strebl, a former runner up in the Mr Europe, Mr Austria and Mr Fitness.



Second Place went to Ivan Byekwaso, the 2009 Mr Uganda national champion.



Third place went to Lazaro Almenares, a long time competitor- Mr. Titan (3rd), The BNBF Central (3rd), BNBF South (1st), NPA (1st), BNBF Final (5th in best body condition and best abs) and the NPA Finals (4th).



Peak weak diet

The food I ate the week leading up to the show worked well. I cycled my calories up and down through out he week to see how my body responded and filled out. I made sure my sodium intake was 2-2.5grams per day and I was drinking 7.5 litres of water a day. 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.

Condition





I was very happy with how my physique looked. My condition was good, I was tight and dry from the back and my muscles were full from the front. I would like to focus on the next show on getting just a little bit leaner, achieving that paper thin skin look and hopefully getting some more striations in the muscles going.

I also leaned some good tips in regard to packing my bags and food for the show. Using a small suitcase with wheels on the Sunday helped immensely as I didn’t have to carry everything around and I could save my energy better for when I was up on stage.

Tan

My tan on day 1 was a bit too light. I Used Dream tan. I applied colour only when I got to the show which in hindsight I think was a mistake.

On the 2nd day I applied extra coat of tan in the morning before travelling back to the show then had it touched up when I was there getting ready to pump up and go on stage. This blended in with the tan which was still there from the 1st day (I didn’t wash it off) I think my colour was a lot better and darker because of this but I still think it can be improved.

On my next show I intend on getting a base tan using either a self tanner or a spray tan then using a competition colour on top. I will also have some posing oil to hand to provide a finishing sheen if I feel I need it on the day of the show. For this next show I will be Using Jan Tana products as Dream tan has been banned by the BNBF due to people abusing it and making a mess of the venue.

Pump Up



Initially on the 1st day I was having trouble achieving a good ‘pump’ in my muscles. What I did to rectify this was to go into my contest ‘tool box’ and I consumed a couple of muffins and a snickers bar. The sugars from this food almost immediately helped me start to pump up better and my muscles by the time I got on stage were feeling hard and full.

I also learned some good techniques on pumping up the right muscle groups. I rotated the muscles of my upper body, focusing on my shoulders, chest arms and back. I tried to maintain a good amount of blood flowing through these muscles as I waited to go on stage. I pumped up for about 15-20 min’s. I did not pump up the legs as this tends to ruin the definition in them and hide the separation between the muscle groups.

Posing



I was overall pretty happy with my posing although there is always room for improvements. I was particularly happy with my front lat spread, my back lat spread, back double biceps side tricep and abdominal shots. I realise that I need more size in my arms, upper chest and shoulders to balance out some of my other poses and this will be addressed post contest vigorously!

My individual 90 second posing routine went well and the music was popular to the audience. I posed to 'Killing in the Name of' by Rage Against the Machine. I will practice some more variations of the mandatory poses to incorporate into my posing routine for the next show.

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 stiff and there were some exceptional physiques on stage. There was no weight, height or experience categories in this show so all the bodybuilders were thrown in together. The top finishers were all former champions or close runners up in national championships.

With more time I will make improvements to my own physique that will make me more comparable. Bodybuilding is a game of consistency, patience and perseverance. Many competitors do not reach the peak of their physiques until they are in there 40’s.

The Show

I enjoyed the show, the organisers and judges were nice people.

What I did feel though is that that the organisation at times was quite chaotic and that there could have been more communication between athletes and stage controllers.

On day 2 there was a point where I was told that there was 2 more rounds of other competitors before us bodybuilders were due to go on stage (approx 15-20 min’s). This rapidly changed however and we were then given 60 seconds notice that we were going on. Because of this last minute change I didn’t have any time to eat my pre-pump up food and perform a proper pump up. Thankfully my body responded when I got on stage and I pumped up more as I hit my poses.

I understand that the fact that we were sharing time on stage in between the Worlds Strongest Man Competition gave the organisers time constraints but I feel that this could have been handled and planned for better. Hopefully this will be addressed for future FAME competitions.

I also feel that there needs to be an inclusion of either weight categories or height classes in future shows. It’s pretty hard to compare to someone who is over 6 foot and outweighs you by 30+ kilo’s.

Verdict

Overall the competition was a fantastic experience. I met some wonderful people, achieved my own goals of looking the best I’ve ever been and learned some valuable lessons that will help me for my next show in 3 weeks in Bognor Regis and any future shows.


Goals for the next show

* Get even leaner and drier for the next show, I’m shooting for the paper thin skin look.
* Improve my contest colour
* Use the lessons in regards to packing my bags better to my advantage

How I will place all depends on who shows up on the day of the show. I will look even better than before and if the judges like what they see then maybe I might be rewarded with a better placing.

The main goal is to improve me for me. I do not base my ego on judges subjective opinions so will not be hurt or disappointed if I don’t place as high as maybe I deserve. For me I enjoy the whole process of natural bodybuilding. The training, the diet, the healthy lifestyle all constitutes an important part.
Don’t get me wrong, I do train to win for the competitions but I view them as a fun challenge and don’t get too hung up on the results.

Thanks

I would like to thank my friends and family who came to support me at the show, especially my beautiful girlfriend. I also bumped into several of you guys from the gym so thank you for coming.

I intend to get buy the professional photos and video so I will post these up when I get my hands on them.

For more photos please go here-

http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv336/mfitness81/Fame%202010%20Bodybuilding%20Show/





The next show is on the 20th of June in Bognor Regis!

Fame 2010 London Championships: The Result

The Fame Show was great fun. I didn't place in the top 3 but I came in the best I have ever looked for a competition and was very happy with how I looked.

It was a awesome experience and I learned many things that will be helpful for my next show on the 20th of June in Bognor Regis.

I will post a more detailed explanation of my contest findings and a write up in the next few days.

Coming in 1st place was 4 times FAME Champion Helle Strebl, formally a 2nd place runner up in the Mr Austria, Mr Europe and Mr Fitness. Second place went to Ivan Byekwaso, the 2009 National Mr Uganda Champion.

Contest photos

Here is an album that contains some photo's taken from the show-

http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv336/mfitness81/Fame%202010%20Bodybuilding%20Show/

I will be purchasing the professional photograph's soon so I will upload them also in future.

Contest day

Everything is ready and i'm just waiting for my pick up-

Food and water is prepared
Clothes are packed
Music is ready

I'll post another update tonight

See you there!

Week 18 Progress update- Last week before show

Here are pictures for week 18. I step on stage on Saturday and Sunday.

Weight is 65.5kg's




As you can see I have been waxed. The skin has come up good with no bad reactions. Food this week has been variable increasing and decreasing the carbohydrate intake to see how the body responds.

I have reduced the intensity of the training this week to allow the body to recover and be fresh for the show. Everything is going according to schedule.

I will tan on the morning of the show with Dreamtan.

On with the show!

Timetable of the Event

Here are the details of the show

To get your tickets in advance go here- http://www.senishow.com/Tickets.html

SATURDAY 29th-JUDGING: 11am-1pm

FEMALE-fitness model -quarter turns only

MALE -fitness model -quarter turns only

BIKINI -quarter turns only

FIGURE -quarter turns & 5 mandatory poses only

MENS BODYBUILDING-quarter turns & 7 mandatory poses only
FIGURE -routine only

FITNESS-routine only

BREAK UNTIL 4pm

Afternoon show: 5pm-6pm

FEMALE -Muscle Model-quarter turns only

MALE -Muscle Model-quarter turns only


MENS BODYBUILDING -routine only
_____________________________________________________________________________________

SUNDAY 30th MAY-JUDGING & SHOW:11am-1pm

FEMALE -Fitness Model-theme wear

MALE -Fitness Model-theme wear

BIKINI -individual walk outs

FIGURE -quarter turns only(no routine)

FEMALE -Muscle Model-theme wear

MALE -Muscle Model- theme wear

FITNESS-quarter turns & routine

MENS BODYBUILDING-quarter turns & 7 Mandatory poses

BREAK UNTIL 3pm

Afternoon show 4pm-6pm

TROPHIES & PHOTOSHOOTS

FEMALE-Ftness model-trophy

MALE -fitness model-trophy

BIKINI -trophy

FEMALE-Muscle Model-trophy

MALE -Muscle Model-trophy

FIGURE- trophy

MENS BODYBUILDING-trophy

FITNESS-trophy


Hope to see you there!

Hitting the peak

I have made some adjustments to the diet for the last week in order to peak properly-

*I have upped my water intake to 7.5 litres per day, this will come down right before the show.

*I am now also measuring my sodium intake to keep it at atleast 2.5grams per day, this is important with the volume of water I am drinking.

*Training will not be too intense in the week leading up to the show as I want to make sure the body is fresh for the weekend.

Competition Venues and details

I have been asked to repost the details for the competitions.

Show on Saturday 29th- Sunday 30th May 2010

Pre-judging will be on the saturday and the night show will be on sunday. I will recieve the exact timings of when I will be on stage this weekend, i will post these ASAP.

Venue

Excel Centre London
One Western Gateway
Royal Victoria Dock
London, E16 1XL

Spectator tickets

-Special reduced price (ends 14th May) - £10 per day or £15 both days (29th & 30th) - price on the day at the door - £15 per day (no weekend offer)
*tickets bought on the day must be bought from a FAME representative at the entrance of the SENI show. FAME representatives will be wearing FAME t-shirts*

Advance tickets will be sent out by recorded post or can be picked up in person at:

Miami Pro Fitness Clothing

Catford Mews,
Unit 18
32 Winsladeway
Catford, SE6 4JU

ask for Angie Weston - Angiewest2@hotmail.com

*Tickets to see the FAME UK show will also give access to the SENI show*

http://www.lamuscle.com/magazine/article/FAME_2010

SENI is a huge martial arts expo and competition featuring many different sporting diciplines. Its a good weekend out- http://www.senishow.com/

_____________________________________________________________________________________
The second show will be held on Sunday 20th June 2010

Venue

Alexandra Theatre
Belmont Street
Bognor Regis
Po21
http://www.alexandratheatre.co.uk/

Spectator Tickets

BNBF Telephone Number for enquiries- 01738 446 006

I am currently finding out how is best to buy specator tickets for the Bognor event and how much they will cost. I will post them as soon as I Know.

Week 17 Progress Update

Here are pictures for week 17, 1 1/2 weeks to go until the 1st show!

Weight is 65.4kg's




The drying out process will start from next week, there will be some noticablble futher changes as I harden up. The hair will be waxed next week. I will post new pictures then.

Nutrition is still 225 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbohydrate and 40 grams of fat per day. Energy levels are excellent for this close, infact I feel like i'm getting stronger.