Aj's Log - The Goal Of WNBF Pro Status.

4th December

Good day today! - Rested up, got plenty of work done in a local Pret near Danni's & also recorded a podcast. Got roughly 10,000 steps in, felt like my energy was picking up gradually throughout the day BUT my head is still banging a little bit, very confident that this is a tightness in my neck and traps, so I'll be getting some work on this Thursday, got to be pro-active about these things, I have experienced this before and it usually fades within a week or so.

Nutrition today - 300c 80f 200p - as I said, a little higher fat, and a fairly large drop in carbs as I simply won't have the demand for them over the next few days.

Another good 8 hours sleep tonight, journey back to Brum, resting up again and packing some bits for New York also :)

Good plan aj. Refreshed for an actual holiday where you can enjoy everytning about NY

F*CKED UP!

Yup, that's how I feel right now.

A week of really great training progressions and I've started to get a bit sick, rundown and starting to see some regressions and old injuries start to kick in.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated, because I really am. But I'm going to take from tomorrow off, leading into next week as me and Danni leave for NYC on Friday and I want to feel better by then!!

I will be pulling diet down to around 2800-300 and actually only having one carb meal per day in the evening , focusing on higher quality fats to help aid the process of reducing inflammation over the coming days - then when I go to NYC, diet will obviously be somewhat relaxed. I will keep you guys updated with the 'removal' of the fatigue - because I find following these processes fun.

1st December

Some cracking sessions the last two days with Lewis, we didn't end up filming for Upper, just wanted to get in, get after it without having to worry about the Camera, but I will be hooking up with Lucas again at Ultimate soon to get some of my sessions fully recorded with 'INTRA' session conversation. Meal out at Miller & Carter with Danni this eve, was very nice, fillet steak & chips. Tomorrow we're going to Manchester for xmas markets, should be a nice relaxed day - then NYC next week for 4 nights from Friday onwards! Cannot WAIT my favourite city on the planet!! Hope you guys are all good :)

lookong forward this content lads

29/11/18

Rest Day Thoughts

I used to hate rest days, inching to train, just generally dreading them.

Now I have a totally different thought process, I get a LOT of work done in these days, I think of them simply as recovery days, of course I still inch to train, but I know I crave a productive session than just 'another session'. Tomorrow I head to Muscle Performance Gym to train with Lewis Rossi, we will film as always and it will be a fantastic session - the day after we are hitting Upper at UltraFlex Normanton - excited for both sessions and to bring them on the site for you guys!

28/11/18

BW - 172.8 lbs - Yesterdays food - 550c 55f 190p

Great leg session yesterday, feeling pretty beaten up today and certainly a bit anxious for my Pull session, it's ok, I have numbers to progress and I know I can effectively chase them with this level of fatigue, it's a fine balance between doing TOO much and simply not training due to nerves/being a lil bitch. Food is at a really nice place but last night was the first time I've struggled with oats in the evening in a while, so I'll be thinking of a food rotation at that meal to simply make it easier. Cream of rice around training is fantastic for me right now, I'm experiencing zero bloating or digestive issues throughout the day too and energy is nice and constant, I'm having carbs with every meal, so to aid uptake and improve BG, I'm using 1x Matador with each meal, or the same dose from CORE LOAD.

26/11/18 - Update

BW - 173lbs (back on the creatine, gained a good 2lbs of fullness from this, woohoo!) Now, Monday is usually legs for me, but my quads are always toast when it comes to this session, 2 days recovery is just not enough, so a rotation in split. I will now hit Push, Legs, Pull (non low back loading) Off, Upper, Legs, Off. This should give me the capacity to recover from both leg days and maximise them.

Fantastic day at the seminar yesterday, can't wait to run more and go to plenty other seminars in 2019 to learn more than ever about nutrition training and supplementation. Something that a lot of people said was that i should of charged more!! Shocked, but people didn't realise that i was actually going in hard on how to COACH for contest prep, because the room was full of coaches, so i really hammered some points home. Sleeping better now the jet lag is worn off, but digestion seems a little disrupted still, this should settle over the coming days. Upper body session will go on the site later today! Me and Danni hit this on Saturday.

24/11/18 171.8 lbs Yesterdays Leg Day (Quad Focused) - I can handle serious work on my legs now that calories are nice and high. Squat - 180k x 8 170k x8/8

Hack - 2 sets 8-12

Pendulum - 2 sets 1x8-10 1x20 Leg Press - 2 sets 2x15

Leg Curl Seated - 4 sets, 2 sets being 12-15, 2 sets being 20+ reps. Leg ext super set with sissy - 2 all out sets, 12-15 reppers.

Calves x 4 sets

Add super set with abductor - 2 sets 15 - 20 each

Abs (hanging leg raise) Great session, long, but effective.

Be good to See a workout from Ben with his short intense sessions

UPDATE - 22/11/2018

Bodyweight - Around 176-177 lbs, after LA Trip.

Diet -

M1 - Oats, Blueberries, Egg Whites + Dynamic Health & Fruits Chocolate Flavour. M2 - PRE - Cream Of Rice, 5% Lean Mince, Green Veg.

INTRA - 25g HBCD, 20g EAA, 2g Taurine, Electrolytes.

M3 - POST - Cream Of Rice, Whey Isolate.

M4 - Either Salmon or Cod, White Rice, Salad.

M5 - Oats, Banana, Egg Whites, Whey Isolate, Nuts & More or Nut Butter/Dark Choc. As you can see, very low fat throughout the day until last few meals, I feel very very good with this approach, no sluggishness or fatigue / grogginess throughout the day and good energy + a little hypo towards the end of training so a sign I'm sensitive to nutrients still. I wait until I'm hungry to eat my first meal, then meals are spaced 2.5hrs - 3 hrs apart , with pwo meals being a little closer. Split -

Still Pull, Push, Legs, Off, Upper, Lower, Off, but very close to switching to P/P/L OFF P/P/L OFF.

Cardio -

25 mins rest day medium intensity.

10k steps a day NO MORE no LESS.

General Thoughts -

I'm happy with where I'm at, I have a year to make a LOT of improvements. The WNBF worlds made me yet again realise how far I've got to go to get where I want to be. I'm very confident that in 2020, Ben Howard will be my main set of eyes on the process, making sure I turn up no less than inside out for all my shows. I had a GREAT trip to LA, two consistent weeks now, before I go to New York with Danni on the 7th December for 4 nights, which I can't wait for. Finally, Ben Howard is going to be doing SOME content for the site, what would you guys like to see?? List anything below.

Could you list your training diet meal by meal? And current supplements, thanks

For some reason my update didn't post up earlier!

Bodyweight is hovering around 170-172 lbs.

TD - 500c 55f 200p

NTD - 300c 80f 200p

Great session today - filmed for the site and will be up tomorrow!

Back Squat - 170 x 11 / 170 x 10.

Pendulum x2

Leg Extension x2

Standing Ham x2

Seated Ham x2

Abductor x2

Adductor x2

Donkey Calves x2

Seated Calves x2

Gassed. Upper tomorrow with LOTS of volume, will be a long slog. Excited.

your last post really highlights your maturity and focus on the goal!

a great game plan and I wish I was as focused at your age

WEEKLY UPDATE

So from peak off season weight I am down to 169.8 lbs, I've attached some shots. I aim to get down to the mid 160's before starting bringing up calories again, this will take another 2-3 weeks at the current rate of loss.

I made the decision pretty much this weekend to confirm I won't compete next year - I just CANNOT risk not being improved enough to win a LW title, so another year off, another year of just being as productive as possible and also settling into life (moving out, Danni, etc). I think this is important, and I really don't want to be selfish, even though I know Danni will support anything I do. Current Macros - 250c 50f 200p for those that care about numbers ( I don't) haha!

Current Split - Back/Hams, Push, Quads, Off, Upper, Quads/Light Hams, Off.

Food will be slowly trickled up, I aim to stay in this 'SWEET' spot of 165-175 for a good period of time, just make a tonne of progress there without pushing BW excessively, I've learnt it's just not needed, I feel worse and actually performance doesn't improve much at all.

One thing I do want to take into the next 8-12 months is bringing back some element of squatting, I really would like to be a good squatter and I know it means little from a hypertrophy perspective but I'd just LIKE to be good at barbell squatting, to depth, with control. I will master this.

Next year I will NOT let my food off the gas, everything will be measured, tracked and on point with everything I do. And I'll pour again, a lot of my energy into the clients I work with to get them on stage and win some pro cards!

I plan to travel also - Few trips to the states and Vienna will definitely be on the cards!

I too always feel much healthier and fitter at a moderatly lean bodyfat in the offseason, after the newbie gains have been made gaining more than a couple of pound of contest weight size per year is unlikely I never see why people push the bodyweight so high

great work mate leaning up quickly on your pics! Still super strong too!

WEEKLY UPDATE - 25th Aug Bodyweight Average - 173 - 174 lbs Calories currently - 275c 60f 200p - still primarily focusing on carbs around the workout window.

This week has been fantastic to be honest! I had Pull, Push & Legs all in Brighton and despite the bags of travel over the weekend, they were all great sessions, focus and attention was high, connections & pumps were awesome! - This is primarily down to a few factors... - I'm in a very good place mentally at the moment. - I'm lighter & feel fitter & more sensitive to nutrients. - General mood & energy is awesome. I'm in Sheffield this weekend with Danni - so we hit Legs Yesterday at Iron Athlete Gym (awesome place) the session went like this...

Ham curl - 2 sets (1x8-10/1x12-15)

Wide / High banded leg press - 2 sets (1x8-10/1x12-15)

DBSLDL - 2 sets (1x8-10/1x12-15)

Barbell Hip Thrust - 2 sets (1x8-10/1x12-15)

Banded Pendulum Squat - 2 sets (1x8-10/1x12-15)

Ham Focus Split Squat - 2 x 12 - 15

Adductor / Abductor - 2 x 12 - 15

Standing Calves - 3 x 12 - 15

Today we're off to Ultra-flex in Leeds for Upper Body, I'm hitting a session with Lewis Rossi, which we will film for the site!! Very excited for what next year has for us in store. In terms of myself, pulling down to probably the high 160's will be VERY easy, and set up a brilliant final small push up phase prior to prep. Any questions , just ask!

Exciting times for you mate! Looking forward to the content from the weekend!

UPDATE - 19th August

Current weight - 175 lbs / 80kgs

Dropped around 2.5 lbs over the weekend of the BNBF Midlands, then with re-introducing training, more salt etc and the whole move, my weight has stayed pretty static, but still down on average. Week 2 of this small diet in the books & I just generally feel flat and soft, haha!! This happens at the start of any more aggressive diet, so I'll just keep my head down and focus on the phase.

I will aim to drop to around 170lbs / 77kgs, then food goes up and I'll stay in a small surplus for the entirety of the year until prep rolls around. This is the CURRENT plan and could change if I feel it needs too, I don't like to ever set anything in stone.

LOTS of content coming over the next few weeks, especially as I get settled in at Birmingham. I'm at the UKDFBA today (Sunday) and I was at the 2 bros show yesterday with Danni competing - she did a great job & finished 3rd in a awesome class - it's so good to have her in my life right now.

So, expect a lot of good content coming soon - I'll be getting my office space set up at the flat & this will only massively improve my work.