How I Made This Amount Of Progress In One YEAR!!!
As some of you are aware Im approaching my first shows of the 2019 calendar.. firstly in Watford on the 7th September and Birmingham on the 15th. Both respected shows are highly competitive and will be showcasing some of the top amateur bodybuilders in the country . Im feeling pumped is an understatement.
I thrive on the pressures and stresses of bodybuilding competition, they give me a fire in my belly, a drive like no other, something that Ive built over the years that has become transferable in to my personal and business life.
So I got your attention with the title, now you want to know the secret, the tools I used to make a leap forwards in progress and create a totally new physique in one year…. How is that Marty?… How is that?..
Firstly I will make this as relatable as I can, not everyone is a bodybuilder nor would want to live the restricted life we do but a lot of this you can take away and utilise in your own journey.
When we think of progress we think of more, moving forwards, becoming stronger, bigger, completing more tasks in our day or life.. But heres the thing during my time away from competition last year ( August 18 - March 19) I reluctantly pulled things back.
Training sessions were pulled back to 4 a week from 5/6 a week
Sessions were concentrated on becoming stronger at fundamental lifts like Squat, Deadlift, Bench
Frequency of exercises were increased from 1 to 2 a week with the extra rest paid Dividends on progress
Diet was still controlled and very much in lines to grow tissue but also I had days where I would come off that regimental timing of food and just eat instinctively. Instinct here is important, I wasn’t eating like an arsehole but using my experience in adding food when and needed.
What Im putting across here is sometimes to make 2 step forwards in progress be it muscle growth or fat loss we need to take 1 step back.
Reduce that overall stress and inflammation on the body caused by our work life, relationships, family and general over thinking nature. As fitness enthusiasts progression isn’t linear, and we must understand that before sacrificing so much for so little yet putting the foot on the breaks and knowing when to pull yourself back, for me has been the best indicator of progress so far.
Its important to know when its time the pull back a little, enjoy life, holidays, food and training, training if its cardio based, strength or anything that ticks those boxes of enjoyment. Once we have full filled those points we create an environment for the body to then further adapt and make the progress you wish.
Here was my 2018 to present to give you an idea of how I approached things taking Structured time off.
July 2018 - post competition / extreme training and diet
training was reversed very slowly, cardio brought down gradually and calories slowly increased
August 2018- December 2019
Drugs were completely taken out, health markers back to normal range
Food was increased with 1 day completely off plan and 2 cheat meals a week 1 with my girlfriend one mid week around training (Nandos post training with friends)
Training was 4 times per week using upper/ lower splits and push, pull, legs
Hitting big heavy lifts with high intensity but relatively low volume (what I love)
January 2019 - March 2019
Continuing the training style, introducing cardio to control bodyfat and cardiovascular health
Structured Off season diet - something Ive never really taken seriously nor as regimented but this had a Huge impact on progression - still allowing myself those days of enjoyment and stress free choices
Still no drugs were present, my body was fully rested ready for comp prep in March
HOLIDAY - 1 week off work, relaxed mind and body, created my vision for 2019 in business and bodybuilding
March 2019 - Present day
Drugs introduced, Cardio increased, training was increased to 6 days per week ready to attack 16 weeks of what has been my most successful prep to date. On a side note probably the shortest contest preparation I’ve completed to hmmmmmm.. interesting ay.
2 weeks out 2019 (left)
2 weeks out 2018 (right)
