Blast from the Past

We can all get caught up in the frantics and stresses of today's body building lifestyle and all the hype associated with it through our modern day media channels like Face Book and magazines but sometimes it's good to look back and reflect on the what I call the "the good old days".

I would like to take you back, way back in fact haha, the year was 1986, the UKBFF was then known as the WFBB and was headed by then my mentor, the late great Paul Grant, in those days one had to qualify for the Mr Wales, this ensured that every finalist was of a high standard for the big one at the end of the year.
Anyway the previous years finals were smashed into shock with the emergence of the enormous Gary Taylor, over 18 stone with an eight pack, he swiftly moved through the ranks winning the British Intermediates by a mile, no weight classes for inters in those days so he emerged as champion via a huge class of entrants. The rules were that only once you had placed in a intermediate show were you able to migrate to the misters!
Again in Wales we didn't have weight classes, every mister went against every mister regardless of height or weight, at that time I lived in Haverfordwest which happened to be one of the qualifiers and I was expected to enter. Having gone through a divorce and unemployed training and dieting were far tougher than anything I have ever experienced since, my nutrition consisted mainly of eggs, tuna and rice, all cheap commodities at the time but they seemed to work well, there were no good supplements around either!
As the day approached I'd heard the monster Gary Taylor was using this show as a qualifier and so realistically I had resigned myself to placing below him naturally, however I stepped up my cardio and cut my carbs even further, perhaps too much as I resembled a zombie walking the streets of Haverfordwest, but boy did the fat come off, I carbed up the day before on potatoes and used brandy and raisins on the day, crazy stuff eh?
Pumping up was a scary prospect too watching those vascular 21 inch arms swelling before my very eyes, I just did my thing, my abs were deeper than ever and my face resembled that of prisoner of war from a concentration camp. Gary was the favourite though but I was fighting for 2nd, Gary and I were the first call out, which I thought was strange, they were comparing a 12 stone 7 pounds guy to an 18 stone plus monster. I noticed the judges were looking back and forth at Gary and I through out the judging which became a blurr in the end, I think exhaustion saw to that.
ladies and gentlemen in first place................Renzo Algieri, my jaw dropped, Gary sportingly shook my hand and embarrassingly took my trophy, I couldn't believe what had happened but many people said I deserved it, I'll never really know, only two people ever beat Gary Taylor, Dorian Yates was the other, then Gary went on to win the worlds strongest man.
The memory is etched deep in my mind and heart as one of my greatest wins, to this day I fear no one regardless of size, believe in yourself, do your best and TRAIN WITH PURPOSE,

Getting Stronger

Getting Stronger

The last 8 weeks have really been tough on me physically, I've never been so tired; but the start of this week finally showed massive changes in strength which wasn't surprising given the kind of workouts we have been having. Anyway this jump in strength is all well and good but I am a body builder not weight lifter, my focus must lean more toward toward sculpting, isolating and destroying each muscle group to create the balanced symmetrical physique I used to be known for. Testing times to come but this is one old dog that isn't going to take it lying down, the fire is burning ever stronger! TRAIN WITH PURPOSE.

Turning Tide

177 days to go! sounds a long long time to go doesn't it but I'll need every single day to bring that winning formula to the stage next May. Today I trained legs, nothing unusual in that but I did feel different today more so than I have felt the last few months, my muscles felt denser and thicker than they ever have and this gave me a new focus and enthusiasm for things to come. I know I'll get my down days, who doesn't? But staying on track with the end goal in sight will be my motivation to keep going. TRAIN WITH PURPOSE

Progress

This time last year I could barely bend my knees, patella tendon trouble saw to that. Couldn't train my legs for at least 6 months and when I began to train them my strategy had to be completely different, I had to listen to my 53 year old body!
Today my legs are getting better and better although my knees still hurt I'm able to manage the pain and train around the weakness in my tendons, the intensity never changes though it's just the way I do things.
Most over 50 competitors have smallish legs but I'm going to be the exception without forgetting the balance side of things for which I'm known for. Big thanks to Sean Matthews and Sean Brown for pushing me on and picking me up on occasion hahaha. TRAIN WITH PURPOSE!

Target Weight Hit!

Silly me, my scales were way out and unbeknown to me I had already hit and exceeded my target weight and I'm still fairly lean. I think the really heavy training we are doing is burning those extra calories of fat and the muscles are growing with the increase of food and in particular protein.
I still have a way to go before my diet starts so things are well ahead of schedule with regards muscle growth and strength.
Competition prep is always at the forefront of my mind and visualising how I'm going to look seems to spur me on each week, I visualise the line up, my presentation, picking up the winners trophy, the crowd chanting my name and so on, sounds arrogant I know but I'm not competing for the fun of it or the camaraderie, I'm in it to win it!