Back in the old routine

So with my holiday now just a memory and in many cases a blur (yes I do have a decent drink when I'm on holiday) and with recovery from the shoulder op progressing at a record rate I returned to Golds today for my first proper workout for almost 3 weeks. Obviously I can only do legs at the moment but tomorrow I will stretch the top half and see how long it will be before I can resume training to that. As you can see from the photo, which was at the NAC show on November 6th, this years constant dieting took it's toll.  I'm pleased to say that I look much better now but I will keep this picture and refer to it every time someone tells me to compete again next year.  I'm enjoying eating normally and I don't see that changing I have to say!

If it hurts - STOP!

After a great week in the Tenerife sun I came home and went straight into hospital to have an operation on the shoulder that has been injured for the past year. The pictures are from the arthroscopy that revealed all sorts of damage. Mr. Singh and the staff at The Manor Hospital in Biddenham did a great job of decompressing the joint by cutting away part of the collar bone and repairing the damaged tendons. I don't know how long I will be out of action, at the moment I can't even drive, but as soon as I am recovered I will be back in the gym. The main cause of this injury was many years of bench pressing, so if your shoulder hurts when you are benching stop at once and get it looked at by a doctor!

Holiday time at last!

Firstly, just to wrap up the bodybuilding side of things can I say that Steve will upload the photos from the NAC Open as soon as he gets a chance, I was pleased with the way that I looked and I've had a lot of good feedback, including people telling me that I definitely should have won, but to be honest it's all in the past to me now. More importantly, everyone that I'm coaching and prepping for next year is going very well, with one person, Del from Wales, doing particularly well. But while  next years champions are working hard in the gym for the next week, I will be on a beach in Tenerife getting some well earned rest!  Finally, I spent most of today with my gorgeous Princess Lilybelle.  Here she is, with her cheeky look that she gives me, eating the only two bags of sweets this year that were actually going to be mine!


Chubbing up nicely!

Firstly a big thank you to my brilliant son Steve for getting the website updates done. The NAC Open pics aren't here yet so he can't put those on, but apart from that pretty much everything else is up to date now. I'm well into the rebound training now and managed a personal best of weight gaining by putting on 7 kilos in the first 3 days! Needless to say most of that was not muscle and I have now gone back to a clean off season diet already as I am going to try to keep my weight over the winter at less than 120 kilos, that will be far more comfortable. Here's a picture taken at Golds on Tuesday, it would be nice to not get much fatter than that for the winter but Im not hopeful!

"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

Yesterday at the Middleton Arena in Manchester I came second in the NAC British Open, beaten narrowly by John Roberts, just as I was in Nottingham.  As usual I had loads of people telling me that I should have won and the judges said that it was so close that they would like us to both compete in the NAC Mr. Universe in Hamburg in a few weeks time, but I have said no.  This was my seventh show this year and quite frankly I've had enough now. I don't plan to compete ever again but they do say that bodybuilding is a bit like the "Hotel California" - "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave".  Well we will see.  Finally, a huge well done to my friend Lee Jones, who competed in his first ever show yesterday, the UKBFF stars of Tomorrow, and won the Junior class!  It has been a long road for Lee to get this far but now the journey really begins, as this victory qualifies him for next years British finals!

Forward planning

Prep is going well for the NAC British Open on Sunday in Manchester. Having won the UK Open there earlier in the year I am looking forward to it but I am also already making plans to be busy after that and as well as continuing to try to push Danny and Martin to new heights I have several others who have shown interest in competing under my guidance next season to realise their full potential. I will reveal no names yet as some will drop out as they always do when the going gets tough but preliminary and dietary work has already started and will continue throughout this bulking phase of the year. However, in due course I will train each and every one of the new crop for a few sessions, then I will know if any of them can become a British champion, or know the reason why not.  Finally, I have an unlikely new hero, Hugh Grant, who's latest girlfriend is 30 years younger than him, quite right too mate!  Here's a pic from the UKBFF Britain that my sister Wendie likes so much she plastered it all over facebook!