What advice would you give to someone wanting to start out in bodybuilding?

I would advise to anybody, beginners or advanced, to keep things simple. More and more I read about theoretically magnificent supplement products to increase muscle mass, cell volumization, hormone levels etc.. Instead of concentrating on proper whole-food nutrition and hard training. I am certainly not against the use of some of these products, providing that they have no banned substances in their ingredients and that they don’t take over the meat and potatoes of lifting heavy weight in conjunction with a clean diet and plenty of rest in order to build a physique.

Whats your most memorable experience or experiences so far in bodybuilding?

In bodybuilding competition I would have to say the World Championships in Paris, held on my birthday in November 2005, Winning that title was a great birthday present that year, and one which will never be forgotten. Also it was my brother Bens first time abroad and so it was a great experience for him. The British squad which went to those championships was also very special, I was honoured to have great conversations with the late Mr Mike Williams, which I will treasure and never underestimate his success and kindness.

What supplements do you use?

Ny-Tro Pro 40
VP2 Whey Isolate
Creatine
Udo’s Oil

In regards to me competing this year is really a little hazy for myself also, i will be moving residence in
the very close future and so things are a little up in air at the moment.  However, as you will be aware, all last years competitions i was competing in the junior category, and now would be in the heavy weight category. My
overall goal for this year was to pack on some quality muscle so i could compete with confidence stood alongside the big guys next year, hence some off-season powerlifting contests earlier this year. I am very keen to compete in the near future, in both powerlifting and bodybuilding, I will certainly be attending the NPA UK/PRO-AM and NPA
Britain in October even if i dont compete, to spectate and promote AST.

What are your favourite cheat foods?

I don’t particularly have a specific cheat food, however my worst diet trait is the quantity of food I eat in one sitting, or snacking through the day. A good example of this would be if in one sitting I should consume perhaps around 150g wholemeal rice, when its on the plate its more like 250g!!!

If I did have a cheat food it would probably be raspberry ripple ice-cream!

How clean do you keep your diet in the off-season?

For most of the year I maintain a very strict, clean diet. It is very rare that I cheat on my diet in terms of junk food, indeed, I have never eaten fast food or drunk alcohol, in my opinion that is detracting from my ultimate goal of building the perfect physique that my genetics will allow. Therefore, generally speaking my offseason diet isn’t too different from my contest diet, excluding the quantities, which at times would almost double the contest diet!

Can you give us a typical weeks training program?

Growing up cycling, my main idol and inspiration was a poverty stricken Scottish athlete called Greame Obree (Famous for building his bike from washing machine parts), his philosophy of training was simple, - train hard when you feel fit, and rest when you feel tired. I used this philosophy when cycling and still use it today when lifting weights, I only lift heavy when I feel strong, and on the days I feel less vigorous the poundages will drop, and rep ranges increase.

I generally train between 1-2hrs each session and often split bodyparts into two separate sessions in order to maximise intensity to the bodypart being trained. I also prefer a low-medium rep range of between 6-15 reps using training principles like the pyramid system, drop sets, supersets, trisets, etc… A typical weeks training split is as follows, although this is not set in stone, and may vary depending on muscle soreness, injury and work commitments.

Monday- Chest & Biceps
Tuesday- Back & Triceps
Wednesday- off
Thursday- Legs
Friday- Shoulders & abs
Saturday-Off
Sunday- Off (catch up any missed body parts)

What got you into bodybuilding in the first place?

From a very early age, I was brought up cycling, - eventually leading to competitive cycle track racing.  In order to improve my power and speed on the bike I began training only my legs at my local gym. After getting disillusioned with the internal politics in track cycling my gym owner Damon Brown of the TEMPLE GYM, persuaded me after many attempts to enter a natural bodybuilding show. – The first being Mr YORKSHIRE 2005. I am still in debt to Damon for his help and advice.

What kind of training principles do you go by ? (eg low or high reps, high volume or HIT, specialisation, periodisation  etc )

I believe that different principles work for different people, for example HIT worked for the likes of Mike Mentzer and Dorian.  However for me I get most results from High Volume, heavy training, - almost to the extent of overtraining.  I also believe that variety is a huge benefit in an individuals training. The need to keep shocking and changing things up, is of most importance.  Therefore from time to time I will utilise High Intensity Training, or Super High Intensity Training  ( S.H.I.T !! )  to shock my body into progression.

Do you have any bodybuilding idols or inspirations?

I am inspired by the likes of Skip LaCour, he is one of the very few people who has built an extraordinary physique naturally.  Obviously legends like Arnold and Ronnie stand out.  However I prefer to be more realistic in terms of admiring a physique that is naturally possible to achieve, without the use of banned substances.

What do you think  has been the most important factor(s) in your success so far?

I cant really put my finger on one particular factor, i feel it has been a number of things that have all contributed to my success.

Luckily i was brought up training on a bike from a very young age, i think this instilled an ability to train hard whatever the conditions, therefore training has probably been the backbone of my success so far. Also i have a dying passion for lifting weights and living a healthy, bodybuilding lifestyle therefore motivation and holding a clean diet year through aren’t a problem.

What are your biggest lifts poundage-wise?

In terms of my heavy lifts, the poundages can vary quite substantially depending on how strict form is, i became more aware of this when entering my first powerlifting contest, usually when training in the gym, form is paramount, but at a rapid speed, in powerlifting the exercises are performed much more slowly with pauses at different stages of the rep therefore reducing the poundages quite dramatically. Some of my best ‘training’ weights are as follows:

Back Squat 600lb
Front Squat 450lb
Deadlift  665lb
Flat dumbell press 200lb

Whats a typical days diet for you in the off-season and how does it change for pre-contest?

Generally throughout the year i eat clean, not altering much in terms of the foods of my contest diet. In the offseason i just eat a higher quantity of the same diet foods. My dedication to diet is very strict, i have never drunk alcohol, or eaten any fast food, nor even entered into a fast food restaurant. The diet below outlines a typical days diet, slight alterations will be made to this depending on how I am feeling, for example, I may introduce a lot more carbs when I feel low on energy

My off-season diet:

Meal 1:  150g Oats(with 1 scoop protein), 6 eggs(1yolk), 1 banana
Meal 2:  Protein shake
Meal 3:  8oz turkey, 1 large jacket potato, cottage cheese
Meal 4:  chicken, 150g rice, udo’s oil
Meal 5:  protein shake
Meal 6:  Chicken or Eggs

My pre-contest diet:

Meal 1:  2oz Oats, 1/2pink grapefruit, 7eggs(1 yolk)
Meal 2:  1 scoop protein shake
Meal 3:  8oz turkey, 7oz potato
Meal 4:  1 scoop protein
Meal 5:  8oz turkey, salad, 6oz(C.W) rice
Meal 6:  Mixed Vegatables, 8oz white fish

Thats it for this time.  Come back in a day or two for more Q and A’s.  If you have a question for Jay, email us with the title ‘JAY Q&A’.