Men's Health Lucozade Sport Challenge

Wow, I can't believe that I have not updated this blog since February! It wasn't because I have fallen off the fitness wagen so to speak and its not through a lack of motivation. Its mainly due to the fact I have been extraordinarily busy and I have been concentrating on a particular challenge.

Basically, back in March/April I entered a competition through Men's Health to take part in a 13 week Lucozade Sport Strength Challenge. Along with 2 other challengers we were given expert advice by Lucozade Sport scientists and a top personal trainer with the goal of dramatically improving strength and building muscle over a 13 week period.

This involved a series of 'glitzy' magazine photo shoots, one at the start, one half way through and one at the end! So it was an experience to say the least. The challenge was featured in the Men's Health Magazine over a 4 month period and culminated in the final before/after shoot that was in the October edition of the magazine.

So how did I get on??? Well, I will let the picture do the talking:




Throughout the challenge I had to keep a weekly blog (hence the reason why I was not updating this blog!). All these can be found on the micro-site that was created specially for the challenge which can be found here:

http://lucozadesport.menshealth.co.uk/

Not only did I pack on a whole load of new muscle but I increased in strength by around 40%. So it was a great challenge and one I throughly enjoyed. However, after 13 weeks of 6 day workouts I needed a bit of a rest. So am still working out but only around 4 times a week, which is more than enough.

Still want to drop some bodyfat and I have let the diet go a little over the last couple of months so the plan is to go on a 8 week fat burning routine before Christmas.

Anyway, as always any questions etc let me know.

Body Transformation

For the past few months I feel that my progress may have stalled or regressed slightly. This could be for a number of reasons, but I think its mainly because I have lost a bit of focus. Don't get me wrong, I have still been working out at least 4-5 times per week and for the vast majority of the time I have been sticking to the diet! I have definitely seen some gains in strength and musculature. However, I don't feel like I have lost any more fat and I seem to be stuck at my current BF level.

I think the main reasons for this were as follows:

1. A lack of clear goals and objectives


2. A less stricter dietary approach (snacks, chocolate, treats etc)


3. A change in personal circumstances (new job)

I have just had a week off training as I was in Vienna and this gave me a perfect opportunity to take a look at myself, to re-assess and to re-focus my mind. I did quite a bit of reading and research into other people's body transformations and I was inspired by one in particular. Christian Thibaudeau has achieved a very impressive body transformation and his article The Beast Evolves on T-Nation talks about how he achieved it.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_diet_mass/the_beast_evolves

He completed his body transformation in less than 14 weeks, going from 18% bf to under 5% bf! So this has inspired me to complete my body transformation. He predominantly achieved this through a strict dietary approach utilising a range of supplements and his version of German Volume Training called OVT (Optimized Volume Training):

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/optimized_volume_training

So for the next 8 weeks or so I am going to give this routine a bash. I am also going to limit my carb intake during the week and combine a carb loading type approach. So low carbs during the week and weekend high carbs.

Will keep everyone posted on progress! Let's hope it works for me!

Current Routine

For the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with an Upper/Lower split and I think I have found a pretty good balance. I have looked at several types of splits including push/pull, body part specific and upper/lower. For me I think the Upper and lower strikes a good balance between a split and a FB. Most of the excercises are based around compounds as in a FB and the upper/lower split allows me to hit all the major muscle groups at least 2 times each per week. Current programme looks like this:

Upper A

DB Bench Press
Incline Bench
Pull Up
BOR
Shoulder Press
DB Lat Raise

Lower (inc Arms)

Squat
Deadlift
Leg Curl
Leg Press
Bicep Curl
Dips

Upper B

Flat Bench
DB Fly
Cable Pull Down
Seated Cable Row
MP
Front Raise

I mix up the set and rep ranges quite frequently. So I may do 3x10 or 4x8 or 5x5. I also drop in back off sets now and again to exhaust the muscle. I tend to do this at least 4 days per week and then also do at least 1-2 cardio based session each week which normally involves a 7km run. I start every session with 10mins HIIT on some form of cardio machine such as treadmill or x-trainer etc.

I feel this provides me with a pretty good balance. It gives me a pretty good pump and allows sufficient rest between upper and lower sessions to give the major muscles time to recover and repair.

Will keep you posted on progress.

Happy New Year!

Well, the new year is upon us and I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2009!

For me, I hope that 2009 will bring me much of the same as 2008! Last New Year I made a list of key objectives for 2008! Not resolutions but objectives! In all I came up with a list of about 10. Then I looked at each of them and asked myself which ones would have the biggest impact on my life and I then focused on the top 3.

The top 3 I picked was:

1. Lose Weight
2. Set up my own company
3. Sort out my finances

I'm happy to say that for the most part I was successful in achieving most of the above.

1. Lose Weight - I lost 45lbs in 2008 and went from 26% bf to just 12% bf. But more than that I have completely transformed my body. Anyone who may have seen my before and after pics will see what I mean! I am the fittest I have ever been and it has completely changed the way I live.
2. Set up my own company - Throughout 08 I worked hard on pulling together a solid business plan and trying to raise the necessary investment to launch my own business. In October I succeeded in raising the necessary funds which means I am now in a position to launch my own business. At the same time I got a new job with a significant pay rise. So at the moment I am balancing my new job with trying to set up my own company in my own time!
3. Sort out finances - Still some way to go but I think 09 will take me a significant step forward to becoming debt free! So I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

So all in all a pretty good year! For 2009 my key objectives are as follows:

1. Get down to below 10% bf and develop a more muscular physique.
2. Get my business up and running
3. Work hard in my new job to be a success

That's it! Nice and simple! So come the end of 2009 let's see how I got on!

Happy New Year everyone!

Latest Progress Pics!

Can you see the difference?

Update

Quick update as I have been busy lately and not had a chance to post anything.

I have just got back from a 10 day holiday in Dubai. So lots of eating, drinking and generally treating my body like crap! I was a little worried as it was the first time in 6 months I have really let myself go. I was convinced that I had put on at least 7lbs.

However, got back and weighed myself and I had only accumalated a 3lb weight gain. So not that bad! Give me a week and that will be gone again!

First week back in the gym and I have decided to go back to FB for the time being. So I am doing a kind of Chad Waterbury TBT programme but using my own rep ranges. I am also incorporating back-off sets. This is where you reduce the weight by about 40% for the last set and do as many reps as you can until failure. It gives you a good pump and can really help promote muscle growth.

However, I am thinking of trying the Daniel Craig workout which is available on Mens Health:

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/Fitness-&-muscle/built-like-bond-daniel-craig-workout/v3

It seems pretty basic and straight forward and well... it worked for him!

So might give that a bash starting next week.

Am going to work hard over the next 5-6 weeks to drop as much body fat as I can before the christmas binge! Will post progress pics soon.

Christian Thibaubeau Workout

I have recently changed my workout to a Christian Thibaudeau workout based around the concept of Destroying Fat. Here is a link to the original article on T-Nation:


http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1499282


The workout I have put together looks like this:




In addition to the above I also perform 2 HIIT sessions a week and 1 standard cardio session. I usually do the HIIT sessions at the end of the Strenth sessions and the cardio session at the end of the Lactic Sessions. The first stime I did the lactic training session I nearly went sick! I am just finishing my second week and its going well!


Will keep everyone posted on my progress over the next 6 weeks or so.