As I explained in my thread over in 'Shows, pro's and inspiration', I have taken a good few months away from bodybuilding, dieting and the rigours of hard training.
After the Olympia I decided I not only needed a break physically but also mentally after competing on average 3x a year since 2003!!
Having acheived my lifetime ambition of qualifying for the Olympia, I decided in the weeks after the show, that I would retire on a high after competing in the worlds gratest bodybuilding show.
Since September I have eaten on average 3x a day, sometimes twice and sometimes 4x a day but on average just three 'bad' meals a day. I tried to have at least 1 protein drink a day and carried on using my Pro recover PWO when I did train which has been on average 2-4x a week depending on how I felt.
Training has been sporadic and has been generally light and fairly brief (40-50 mins) per session.
In late Feb I decided I needed focus again so upped my training to 4-5x a week and upped my food to consistently 4 meals a day, sometimes 5. They haven't been the greatest meals but they have been calorie rich. Freid breakies with toast and jam (which I had this morning), a post workout drink, 5 whole fried or scrambled eggs on toast, a protein drink and fruit and then dinner has been spaghetti bol or pizza or somthing with chips (steak or fish or bacon)
Perhaps my biggest failing has been going out, partying and drinking 3-4x a week excessively, hardly condusive to a bodybuilder let alone a pro.
This has now just been cut back to the weekends and will soon be down to once a week after the 6 Nations this weekend.
Now one could have said it may have been best to just get straight back in and jump in at the deep end but I felt that would just be such a massive lifestyle change that I would very likely revert back, so instead I have been gradually cleaning my act up and as a result my body hasn't gone into shock!! lol
Today for instance my diet has been as follows
3 fried eggs, 3 rashers of bacon, 2 slices of white bread, 1 pro MR
TRAIN
2 scoops of Pro Rec and 1 scoop Pro Pep
300g fillet steak, 250g white rice
2 wholewheat toast and strawberry jam, 2 sccops pro peptide
Later I will have 4 eggs, 100g salmon and 3 slices of wholewheat toast and before bed I'll prob have oats and pro pep
I have relied extremely heavily on eggs over the last 6 months (normally fried) and white and wholewheat bread as my main carb source and chips. I have occassionally had oats and have had rice probably about 10 times since Sept.
Up until 2 weeks ago I hadn't eaten any chicken or white fish since Sept!!! But I have had cod in batter if that counts
So as you can see my food still needs to be cleaned up radically but suprisingly I have retained good conditioning throughout
3 weeks ago I went back to Empower Performance (Mike and Leica Gelsei) and have trained there once per week which will soon rise to twice a week from April
I have around 7 months to get myself back to my very best (and better) and probably have 3-4 months before hard dieting starts.
I have my passion back and head back on but I will still be living a little bit but balance is gonna be very high on my list of priorities until my prep proper starts around 12 weeks out.
The following pics were taken today at the Power House Gym in Aberaman, nr Aberdare, where I now live and have done since last feb 2011.
I have also had a tattoo since I decided to retire (as I've always wanted one) but as you'll see it doesn't detract too much from my physique, well at least I dont think it will once I'm tanned up. Its stands out like a sore thumb on my pearly white skin right now!
So this will run now until my prep starts in July time. Any questions please ask but remember there are some topics I cant cover for obvious reasons.
I'll be attending various events this year and will again be available for guest spots once I get myself back in shape
I'll be 39 in a few weeks time but I still think I can improve. I think once all the peices of the puzzle are back in place my body will respond well after a good lay off.
My bodyweight was around 14st 2lb in these phots and bottomed out a couple of weeks ago at around 13st 8lbs, so you can see in a couple of weeks I have started to volumise already.
I hope this thread gives you an insight into my world and all that is good and sometimes bad!!
J
After the Olympia I decided I not only needed a break physically but also mentally after competing on average 3x a year since 2003!!
Having acheived my lifetime ambition of qualifying for the Olympia, I decided in the weeks after the show, that I would retire on a high after competing in the worlds gratest bodybuilding show.
Since September I have eaten on average 3x a day, sometimes twice and sometimes 4x a day but on average just three 'bad' meals a day. I tried to have at least 1 protein drink a day and carried on using my Pro recover PWO when I did train which has been on average 2-4x a week depending on how I felt.
Training has been sporadic and has been generally light and fairly brief (40-50 mins) per session.
In late Feb I decided I needed focus again so upped my training to 4-5x a week and upped my food to consistently 4 meals a day, sometimes 5. They haven't been the greatest meals but they have been calorie rich. Freid breakies with toast and jam (which I had this morning), a post workout drink, 5 whole fried or scrambled eggs on toast, a protein drink and fruit and then dinner has been spaghetti bol or pizza or somthing with chips (steak or fish or bacon)
Perhaps my biggest failing has been going out, partying and drinking 3-4x a week excessively, hardly condusive to a bodybuilder let alone a pro.
This has now just been cut back to the weekends and will soon be down to once a week after the 6 Nations this weekend.
Now one could have said it may have been best to just get straight back in and jump in at the deep end but I felt that would just be such a massive lifestyle change that I would very likely revert back, so instead I have been gradually cleaning my act up and as a result my body hasn't gone into shock!! lol
Today for instance my diet has been as follows
3 fried eggs, 3 rashers of bacon, 2 slices of white bread, 1 pro MR
TRAIN
2 scoops of Pro Rec and 1 scoop Pro Pep
300g fillet steak, 250g white rice
2 wholewheat toast and strawberry jam, 2 sccops pro peptide
Later I will have 4 eggs, 100g salmon and 3 slices of wholewheat toast and before bed I'll prob have oats and pro pep
I have relied extremely heavily on eggs over the last 6 months (normally fried) and white and wholewheat bread as my main carb source and chips. I have occassionally had oats and have had rice probably about 10 times since Sept.
Up until 2 weeks ago I hadn't eaten any chicken or white fish since Sept!!! But I have had cod in batter if that counts
So as you can see my food still needs to be cleaned up radically but suprisingly I have retained good conditioning throughout
3 weeks ago I went back to Empower Performance (Mike and Leica Gelsei) and have trained there once per week which will soon rise to twice a week from April
I have around 7 months to get myself back to my very best (and better) and probably have 3-4 months before hard dieting starts.
I have my passion back and head back on but I will still be living a little bit but balance is gonna be very high on my list of priorities until my prep proper starts around 12 weeks out.
The following pics were taken today at the Power House Gym in Aberaman, nr Aberdare, where I now live and have done since last feb 2011.
I have also had a tattoo since I decided to retire (as I've always wanted one) but as you'll see it doesn't detract too much from my physique, well at least I dont think it will once I'm tanned up. Its stands out like a sore thumb on my pearly white skin right now!
So this will run now until my prep starts in July time. Any questions please ask but remember there are some topics I cant cover for obvious reasons.
I'll be attending various events this year and will again be available for guest spots once I get myself back in shape
I'll be 39 in a few weeks time but I still think I can improve. I think once all the peices of the puzzle are back in place my body will respond well after a good lay off.
My bodyweight was around 14st 2lb in these phots and bottomed out a couple of weeks ago at around 13st 8lbs, so you can see in a couple of weeks I have started to volumise already.
I hope this thread gives you an insight into my world and all that is good and sometimes bad!!
J