Age: 33

Profession: Hospital Porter

Current Stats: 5ft10.5 (179cm) | 80 kg (178lbs) | ~8% body fat

Body Type: Mesomorph ( Naturally muscular and well-built, high metabolism and responsive muscle cells.)

Why do you train?

To be honest I train for every reason under the sun, training just ticks too many boxes for me.

Like most young kids I grew up watching Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Van Damme and aspired to a physique similar to theirs and I still do to this day so the body image thing is a big reason for me.

Secondly I enjoy the buzz that it gives during and after the feeling of the ‘pump’ is almost second to none and for a small window makes me feel invincible.

Thirdly the health benefits are endless and I see training as a way of life something I’ll be doing till I reach my deathbed, I just hope that by exercising regularly it’ll take a little longer to reach my deathbed.

Fourthly there’s the psychological aspect I feel at ease mentally if I can constantly train, it keeps my mood consistent and keeps any unwanted aggression suppressed.

Finally the benefits for sports application are obvious as the saying goes ‘train hard, fight easy’.

How do you balance your life commitments with your training?

Having a full time job and 2 young children doesn’t make training easy in fact it’s a nightmare but that’s where the word dedication comes in.

I’ve exercised all my life one way or another and I just wouldn’t be me without it so therefore my own moto has become ‘prioritise exercise’.

The point is with such big commitments  if I did it when everything else had been done and everyone else was happy then I would never workout, therefore sometimes in a very selfish manner I make sure I make time to workout.

Because of my commitments I don’t assign a rest day and instead aim to train every day that way if due to unforeseen circumstances I don’t train then it doesn’t stress me out as much.

Another tactic I employ is to break my workout down in to groups. I train in total for around 2 hours a day but usually break this down into 2 or 3 workouts depending on shifts, school pick ups etc otherwise one 2 hour block would be unachievable.

What are you most passionate about?

In the grand scheme of things nothing will compare to my 2 children, everything I do is for them and that will always be the case.

Family not included my 2 passions are my dog Tiny a Cane Corso mastiff who never leaves my side he’s 9 stone of muscle and loves nothing more than a good run himself.

My other passion is MMA!! I’m obsessed and have been a massive fan since the 90’s and try and get to a live event whenever I can.

What is your Favourite Quote?

I seem to live my life listening to motivational speakers through my headphones but my favourite quote of all time has to be “one life, roll the dice” it’s short and sweet but sums life up for me really.

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a little and tick a few boxes on my bucket list on route but the older I get the more relevant this quote seems. I like the quote that much that I’ve decided to incorporate it in to my very first tattoo another tick off the bucket list.

Training

What is your training philosophy and why?

I enjoy training a combination of callisthenics, traditional bodybuilding and HIIT cardio. I believe a combination of different forms of exercise and regularly mixing things up keeps the body guessing, always improving and creates a real athlete.

What workout routine has worked best for you?

I like to keep my workouts varied but the style of workout I use quite often remains the same.

I base a lot of my workouts on a push / pull style layout.

What that means is that as I progress through my workout I alternate between pulling muscle groups and pushing muscle groups. This allows one muscle group to rest whilst the other works meaning I can cut down the rest between sets and fit more work in to a smaller amount of time.

A side effect of the limited rest means I get maximum pump through my muscle groups whilst also engaging my cardiovascular system.

How do you prevent injury when you train?

Firstly by giving my body a proper warm up so that’s it’s ready for action. As a combat sports fanatic I start every workout with around a 15-20 min warm up that is based around boxing / kickboxing.

Starting with footwork I steadily increase the intensity before finally finishing with 3 high paced rounds on the punchbag.

Secondly I  tend not to lift too heavy instead choosing to shorten the time between sets to maintain muscle fatigue.

Having lifted heavy in my early twenties I always seemed to pick up injuries and decided to lift lighter in order to avoid this also the short recovery between sets allows more work to be done.

What is your cardio like?

At one point my cardio was my strongest asset and I prided myself on being as fit as any professional athlete however for the last year my cardio is currently up and down having recently decided to re-focus on building my physique therefore I’ve dropped the amount of cardio I do. I can see the detrimental effects on my muscle size if I over do it on the cardio front so at the moment I’m keeping it at a minimum. Any cardio I do at the moment is HIIT based and I normally revert to my favourite workout which is a tabata of Burpees around 3 times a week.

What is your favourite body part to train?

Abs, it has to be abs for me it’s what really polishes off a great physique, for me an incredible physique that lacks any abs looks like it’s missing something. I try to train my abs every day, I’ve trained my abs consistently now for 10yrs and all together for about 17 yrs and I’ve found through trial and error that I see the best results with my abs if I train them every day. I once managed 155 days of training my abs without a day off. I like to spend around 20-30 mins a day on my abs using a large variety of exercises with very short rest between sets and I always finish with some lower back work to balance out the body.

Do you use any equipment that deserves a special mention and why?

For footwear and clothing I almost solely wear Nike for me I love their styles, design and fit but most importantly I find their performance second to none and it’s one brand I continue to stay loyal to.

Check out the Nike Store on Amazon

Nutrition

What is your nutrition philosophy and why?

The saying abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym is very real as good as your abs may be if you have a high body fat your just not going to see them.

Getting a balance of nutrition that allows you to build muscle but remain at a low body fat percentage is a constant struggle.

There are a number of things I follow to achieve this:

1. Eat as soon as I get up to kick start my metabolism and get my window for nutrition uptake as large as possible.
2. Eat only small portions so that I never bloat, this also makes sure I’m always hungry for my next meal.
3. Eat every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism burning at a high rate but also to give my body a steady supply of nutrients.
4. Consume a meal as soon as possible after my workout for maximum muscle growth.
5. Go to bed on an empty stomach so that my body doesn’t convert any unwanted nutrients in to fat.

This said I do believe a variety of both good and bad is needed but the bad needs to be kept in moderation.

What strategy/strategies do you use for your meal prep?

When I’m being strict I like to eat every 2-3 hrs and tend to stick with chicken, veg and complex carbs which I’ll cook on a daily basis for the next days consumption.

Portioning in to small fist size meals to make sure I never quite fill up. What I most like about this is that each meal is only a couple of minutes away all the prep and cooking is done, just reheat and consume.

What are your top three cheat meals/foods:

I have a sweet tooth and I’m a sucker for anything with chocolate in it if there’s chocolate in the house then I can’t just have a bit I have to eat it all, much to the dismay of my son.

For this reason I try to keep the cupboards relatively chocolate free.

My other 2 crutches would have to be Chinese takeaway and McDonald’s, sweet and sour chicken balls and me get on like a house on fire.

Supplementation

What is your supplementation like?

I use supplements on a daily basis and I try to stay consistent with what I take and when I take it.

The supplement market is flooded and what might work for me won’t necessarily work for somebody else, so when I find supplements that give me  the success I desire I like to stay loyal.

Every day I take a multivitamin to make sure I don’t miss out on any of the essential vitamins and minerals my body needs, training every day also takes a toll on my body so I take both cod liver oil and glucosamine to aid my joints.

In terms of performance related supplements I keep it limited to creatine and protein.

I take creatine all year round and don’t tend to cycle off I also take what some might consider a larger daily  dose taking around 10g prior to my workout and 10g after.

With my protein I tend to use it sparingly as I prefer to consume naturally if I can and it also gives me a bloated feel how ever sometimes it’s a necessity and I may use it with 30 mins of my post workout or some casein protein before bed if I’ve been low on my consumption through the day.

What advice would you give someone who is trying to start their fitness journey?

This is a broad question and really is going to depend on someone’s individual goals.

However my own experience has taught me that the biggest factor in achieving your fitness goals is consistency, consistency and consistency.

Too many people start out with routines that are too demanding for a beginner and inevitably fail to carry through on their aspirations.

In the words of CT Fletcher “your workout might be my warmup”, there’s no shame in starting small and building up, stick at it, believe in what your doing and the results will come it’s inevitable.

Social Media and Contact

Follow my journey on instagram @sixpackwizard

Fitness plans

Workout plan – Download here