Mid Life Crisis

I spent my 55th Birthday quad biking in the Sinai desert, it was one of the best Birthday treats I’ve ever been given. It was great fun and I really enjoyed it, not so much of a mid-life crisis thing to do - I’m way past the middle of my life - it was more like one more thing done from my “bucket list”.  Along with creating the gym that I’ve always wanted, being a gym owner and making the house that I’ve always wanted to live in, the last 6 months since I gave up competing have been quite successful in ticking things off of that list. In fact what with all of my coaching protégés doing so well another thing will be soon gone from the list and I’ll be looking for another challenge. Several people have recently dropped hints about competing again for one of the federations that now have an “Over 55’s” category and my supplements sponsor LA Muscle have said that they are fully behind me if I decide to do it which makes it's very tempting but I’m really not considering it seriously…………. well not yet anyway.

Desert Rose

It was back to gym business as soon as I got home on Wednesday and that meant filming another workout for The Active Channel and one of my sponsors, LA Muscle. I've now filmed 3 workouts for the series which will be called "Peak Physique workouts" here's a trailer for the first one

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152322733949029&set=vb.40647904028&type=2&theater

and the next one will be in May with PPF member & rising star Emma Tassou and my good friend Martin Stevenson who finally managed to visit me at PPF today.  My years of training with Martin at Olney Health & Fitness taught me a lot and it will be great to do some TV work with him.  Here's another picture from my Egypt trip, which proves that there's never a wrong time to do a quick double biceps pose, although it did give the camel the hump!

Goody Two Shoes

Had a few days coaching abroad and decided to read a book on the flight out. I found “Pride and Prejudice” on my tablet, but as soon as I read the first sentence “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” I laughed, realised that based on an opening statement like that it was going to be nonsense and quickly gave up on the book! It’s becoming a common thing for busy professionals to use their holidays to get fitter and healthier and there is nothing better than morning cardio on the beach. I enjoy coaching away from home and so many hotels these days have good gyms for morning training and excellent facilities for afternoon recovery that I think the trend will continue.  Whilst away I educated my clients on all aspects of diet and exercise, I hope that they can take away that knowledge and improve their physiques and general health. One thing that many people adopt after a few days like this is my “don’t drink don’t smoke” policy, just doing those things alone will make a huge difference to a person’s long term health and also their bank balance!

I Believe I Can Fly

Excellent back session at PPF yesterday. As you can see from the photo, even though I'm permanently off season and drug free these days I'm managing to keep a decent physique, especially the "wings" that were my best feature when I competed. That is because without the pressure of constantly competing and now being able to eat properly rather than dieting strictly I have licence to try all sorts of new things in my workouts.  Nearly all of them work really well which means that I can then use the new methods when coaching my proteges.  I didn't make it to the "Hercules Olympia" as I had gym issues to deal with (oh the joys of being a gym owner) but I've heard good reports, so well done to everyone who competed.  The season is now well and truly underway so if you're going to compete at any time this year it's time to get serious.  Don't miss a workout and don't miss a meal, go to the gym on business, get into the best shape of your life and own the stage when you get up there.  Most of all believe in yourself, it's amazing what you can achieve if you do that simple thing!

Memories

Excellent feedback from yesterdays post! Can I say though, for the umpteenth time, that it's the athlete that does the work and the diet so they get all of the credit. As a coach I just guide people, they do the hard bit so they deserve all of the praise. In other news, today I was visited by 8 year old Harry, who I have known and loved since he was a baby.  He's grown into an amazing young man and he wants to learn to box, so today I gave him his first lesson.  It's 40 years since my first boxing lesson but as soon as I did the basics like "what hand do you write with?" and "stand like you're holding a rifle" it all came flooding back like it was yesterday, ah happy memories.  Harry was excellent, he means the world to me and we'll do more work together soon.  Finally, have a look at this from my friends at The Supplement Centre, not just because 13 of the items were written by me but because it is hugely entertaining whilst being highly informative http://blog.supplementcentre.com/101-fantastic-fitness-tips/  I enjoy working with the The Supplement Centre and recommend that you check out their entire website.

Only Women Bleed

Apparently my last post upset a few people who are "fat and happy". My point is chubbs, that you might be happy but us taxpayers are very unhappy footing the NHS bill for illness caused by obese peoples lifestyles, so sort yourselves out!  For those that have all of the usual excuses please look at this picture. I started working with Clare in January, just the usual stuff, a sensible diet and exercise plan because she's getting married in July, as you can see her results have been amazing. Clare is almost 40, is a full time air stewardess, home maker and mum and also gives her fiance all the support that he needs while he's dieting for competition, she even trains with him!  So, what's your excuse now for not at least trying to get into shape?  I've not been that surprised by her results, in my experience when a woman is really determined to change her body she will do whatever it takes and go through the pain barrier more readily than men do. Clare has done so well that it makes sense for her to take it to the next level and compete soon, we are all very proud of her!

Fat Nation

There is a very alarming article in today's Sunday Telegraph relating to obesity in this country http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/laura-donnelly/10174593/Obesity-bankrupting-the-NHS-warns-peer.html. Actually "alarming" is an understatment when you read that "Studies have found that diseases caused by poor diet and sedentary lifestyles are costing the NHS more than £6 billion a year" Draw your own conclusions but, as harsh it may sound, in 99% of cases it is a persons choice if they want to be fat or not. I know because I deal with lots of people who are determined to lose weight, they all succeed too, like I said it's a choice.  Sadly it's not a choice for hard working tax payers to continually plough money into the NHS to deal with those who choose to remain obese.  On a happier note, here's a link for a workout of me coaching two women with amazing figures at PPF for The Active Channel http://www.theactivechannel.com/player/PeakPhysiqueAlternativeLegsWorkout  They choose to look good, and this shows that it's hard work but well worth it.

The Message

I was saddened today to read this story in the newspapers about a 20 year old bodybuilder who died because he was trying to get big in the way that I try so hard to stop people from doing http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/oli-cooney-death-bodybuilding-obsessive-3340653  It's a very sad story for more reasons than the obvious one.  Firstly, you would think that this might act as a deterrent to others - it won't, youngsters on steroids think that they know it all and will just say that this would never happen to them.  Secondly, one story like this tars every bodybuilder with the same brush, we are all steroid taking axe murderers who will be dead before we get old.  I've done numerous TV and magazine interviews telling the truth about all of this and helped several students with dissertations on the subject, even as recently as a few days ago.  Those people listen intently and learn while the stupid, uneducated people still think that they know better.  So, in the hope that just one person will learn from it, here is a piece that I wrote on the subject that has received huge praise http://www.kevanwilson.com/pdf/YoungstersOnSteroids.pdf  

Ash Wednesday

Had a great time yesterday working with my old friend Dean Ash for LA Muscle.  We were doing a teleshopping promotional video, which will be shown on The Active Channel, for Norateen Heavyweight II, which I am using as an extra supplement now that I am drug free. It seems to be doing a good job, I'm happy and steady at 18 stone and lean, so I'm glad to put my name to it.  Dean and I first met many years ago at Body Limit Gym in St. Albans and were once both coached by Eddie Abbew.  We reminisced about how Eddie, at 8am on the morning of the British Finals in 2010, had us both practice posing into the mirrors in his hotel bedroom, because he's that much of a perfectionist.  Dean has now stopped bodybuilding and is doing MMA instead, around all of the other committments that he has of course.  He's very popular and a lovely guy, I wish him all the very best with that.