THE Upgrader
Ben Marum
It’s not always easy to know if you’re training ‘right’. Ben Marum would always train hard, but workouts were often social affairs with chatting between sets that distracted from his sessions.
‘I’ve always wanted to train to my full potential,’ says Ben, who’s teamed up with WBFF athlete Tim Chase to achieve his goals. ‘The problem was I never quite knew how to take that next step.’
Two months into his Optimum Nutrition Upgrade programme Ben is already making huge strides, with Chase providing the consistency and expertise that was previous absent. The first goal of the programme was to create an achievable training and nutrition plan that Ben could stick to. ‘In the gym I got Ben to focus on good technique, tempo and intensity throughout his workouts,’ says Chase. ‘We aimed to increase either the weight lifted or reps each week.
Ben has already seen improvements to his strength. Whereas previously he would chase the biggest weight he could move, regardless of technique, he now understands how important form is to progression. And it’s working – Ben’s already added 10cm to his chest.
Although the training is tough, Ben’s biggest challenge has been the amount of food. ‘I’m on 3,500 calories a day,’ Ben says. ‘That was originally split between eight meals. I’m a teacher, so I struggled to find the time.’ Instead Ben has started eating four larger meals a day, which he says is much more manageable, along with convenient Optimum Nutrition supplements. ‘Eating all this food is paying off,’ he says. ‘I started at 78kg and now I’m at 84kg.’
The hard work, structure and dedication to diet are pushing Ben closer to his goal of being in the best shape of his life. ‘Ben has fully committed himself to the Upgrade Challenge,’ says Chase. ‘His strength has improved, his weight has increased and his calories are now higher than ever. This gives us the perfect platform to start Ben on his cut phase, to shift the excess body fat and create his beach body.’
Beach Prep
1. Decline barbell press
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 45sec
Lie on a bench set at a 45° angle, holding the bar with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Drive your feet hard into the floor and press the weight straight up powerfully, then lower slowly back to the start.
2a. Incline dumbbell press
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 45sec
Lie on a bench set at a 45° angle, holding dumbbells beside your chest. Press them straight overhead, then lower slowly.
2b. Incline dumbbell flye
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 45sec
Lie on a bench set at a 45˚ angle, holding dumbbells above your chest with your elbows slightly bent. Lower the weights outwards until you feel a stretch in your chest, then return to the start.
3. Barbell bent-over row
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 45sec
Holding a barbell with an overhand grip, bend your knees slightly and hinge forward from the hips, keeping your shoulders back throughout. Pull the weight up to your lower sternum, then lower slowly.
4a. Wide-grip lat pull-down
Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Rest 45sec
Sit at the machine with your chest up, holding the bar with a wide grip, and pull it down to your chest. Return until your arms are fully extended.
4b. Straight-arm pull-down
Sets 3 Reps 15-20 Rest 45sec
Grasp the high cable attachment with your arms slightly bent. Bend at the hip until your arms are by the sides of your head, then pull the cable down until your upper arms are by your sides.
Fit Food
Sugary snacks are out and healthy fats are in, explains performance nutritionist Dr Críonna Tobin
‘Ben’s diet was low in nutrition and energy and high in refined sugar,’ says Tobin. ‘He also wasn’t eating enough protein for someone his size and weight, which is a major concern when your main goal is to achieve a beach body physique through gaining muscle mass and losing body fat. Cutting out the high-sugar foods and replacing them with nutritious snacks enables him to train harder and achieve his beach body physique faster.
‘Ben’s increased food intake includes more foods high in healthy fats such as full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, nut butters, red meat, olive oil and avocados. Fat has more energy than either carbohydrate or protein and also provides the body with essential vitamins and minerals to support health.
‘In order to support muscle growth Ben needed to increase his protein intake. It can be challenging to increase the protein content of some meals, particularly breakfast and snacks, so a scoop of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey is an easy solution. Ben’s also been adding Optimum Nutrition Creatine to his post-workout shake to enhance performance during repeated bursts of high-intensity exercise in the gym, which will improve his power. Finally he’s been taking Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy to support energy and focus during tough training sessions.’
Best of the rest
Ben’s fellow Optimum Nutrition Upgraders are making similar strides
Fitness Modelling
Matt Botwright
After six weeks of his programme, trainer Shaun Stafford has already entered Matt into a fitness physique competition. As you might imagine, having a competition looming has been a serious motivator for Matt. That stimulation is vital because his reduced carbs have made tough sessions even harder. The upshot is that his body is already turning heads.
Crossfit
Alistair McGovern
Alistair’s making real progress improving his lifting technique. Breaking key moves down into stages and working them individually has helped his snatch, overhead press and squat numbers to go up significantly. Meanwhile, the changes he’s made to his diet are already having a visible impact on his physique – he’s leaner around the midsection and carrying more upper-body muscle.
Rugby
Niall Moody
Niall’s mobility has come a long way since the start of training, and he’s addressed years of on-field damage by working with foam rollers and resistance bands. As well as this he’s been getting stronger, back squatting 140kg for four reps and benching 90kg for five sets of five. Niall has a few targets ahead of him, such as playing in a rugby sevens tournament in Reykjavik, before his focus shifts to the new season starting in September.
