9 Days Of Rain

Note to self, never again try to do 3 months show prep in 4 weeks. If I'm honest it's kicking my arse but failure is not a word that is in my vocabulary and I fully intend to be on stage in Birmingham on October 7th. My top half is coming through as you can see and my six pack is a permanent feature but my legs are a week behind so I will diet right up to show time and not bother to carb up, I'm usually the biggest but condition is more important than size as I always tell people. Even doing this it is clear that I am going to go in much heavier than ever before, my target after drying out will be 111 Kilos so it should be interesting to say the least. Finally, Megan Stammers is not an abducted child, 15 is the new 21, so if everyone was to stop treating her like one and stop talking about bringing her home then she would get in touch. Just tell her that if she is happy she will be left alone!

Back to black

So Sean and I did our posing practice together and as you can see from the pic his condition is way better than mine.  I’m supposed to only be a week behind him so extreme measures are called for. That will mean carbs down to 50 grams per day and the introduction of night cardio, which is when you go to bed at 9, get up at 2 and pound the pavements for an hour in the blackness of the night when the air doesn’t stink, before going back to bed for another 4 hours sleep, after which a “normal” day begins!  In case you missed it and due to popular demand, the documentary is going to be shown again this coming Tuesday, September 25^th at 9pm on The Community Channel. Finally, how ridiculous that an MP is going to lose his job because he called a copper a pleb. Are people really that soft these days? The saying about sticks and stones springs readily to mind!

These are the days of our lives

Firstly, my apologies for the web site crashing yesterday and my thanks to Steve for fixing it. Show prep is going well and tomorrow Sean and I will pose together so that we can compare condition.  His show is a week before the one that I am hoping to do so the pics will tell a story, if he doesn't make me look too out of shape I might even put one of them on the next blog! The only other person that I've worked with and who will compete again this year will be Delyth who will soon do her first UKBFF British final and will do well I am certain.  Finally, Caden was 5 on Tuesday, where did that time go? He has also started "big school" and a few days ago Natalie unexpectedly presented him to me in his first school uniform.  Not much makes a big man cry but I'm proud to say that I picked him up and cuddled him as tears rolled down my face, he really is an amazing young man!

Love is a banquet on which we feed

*Prep update*  Sean is ahead of schedule so he is now going to do the Leamington Spa show at the end of the month.  He has a bit of a cortisol problem but we think that we have solved that and I'm expecting him to look ready by the time this Saturday's inspection comes around.  My prep is going well, a week away solved my cortisol problem and it won't come back even though someone (guess who) is trying to make that happen. I came back from Egypt weighing 18 st 2lbs and I am already down to 17st 8lbs. The diet is kicking in now but the hunger in my tummy is nothing compared to the hunger that I have to prove that at 53 I can still compete at the top level in a sport where the quality and standard seems to improve at every show.

Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

My time in Egypt was great, the comments about my physique were all very nice as usual but I was asked so many times "when are you competing again?" It made me realise again, as I have said so many times before, that competition bodybuilding really is like the "Hotel California", you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. My first job now I'm back is to finish prepping Sean for his second show, the UKBFF qualifier in Birmingham on October 7th, I have decided that I will prep myself at the same time and see where we go from there. That means intensive prep, a million car park lunges and no social life from now until then, a prisoner of war so to speak. I know it's crazy and some are already asking me why as I have nothing more to prove. Well as my good friend Tommo (pictured) once told me "we can't stop, we are bodybuilders and this is what we do!"

Life in "The bay of the leader"

This place is quite surreal, a string of luxurious hotels flanked on one side by the Red Sea and the other by the Sinai Desert. It is a usual holiday for me, people asking for diet and training advice, others wanting photos with me, it's still very flattering and enjoyable. The one worrying thing out here though is that they sell steroids cheaply over the counter in all the pharmacies. I have had some people ask me what they should buy, my answer is none of them. Aside from the fact that those who have asked are too young to be taking them, if you are going to go on the gear make sure that you get it from a proven reputable supplier. If not, what you are buying could be counterfeit at best or dangerous, even fatal at worst. Think about it, you are putting this stuff into your body after all!

Another holiday?

Blogging today from Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt! I've already had loads of feedback from the documentary, all positive and good, so thanks for that. The occasional negative stuff will eventually come of course, from people who's bravery and intellect extends no further than slagging me off on Facebook, all borne of jealousy of course. I call it "motorcycle emptiness", listen to that song and you will see why.  It's great here and the Egyptians love bodybuilders so I'm having a brilliant time. Sorry if I've not yet replied to your email or YouTube comment, I will do it as soon as I get home.