The end is in sight! Although I’m so close to finishing, I feel that I’m well and truly used to my routine now – I’m not sure I’ll know what to do with myself once it’s all over.
My training is following a similar pattern as before, with short rest periods between sets and keeping up with supersets and drop sets to keep the intensity up. I’m slowly getting used to the increased cardio although it’s definitely still the toughest part of my training. I’m still doing three steady-state cardio sessions a week, before my first meal in the morning, as well as two HIIT sessions after weightlifting.
My carbs are still low (150g a day) to ensure that I look as trim as possible at the end of the programme. I’m much more used to the slightly dipped energy levels that causes, but I do still sometimes crave a little bit more of a boost! Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy is still my favourite supplement because of the extra kick in alertness it gives me.
On a normal training da, my diet looks like this:
Meal 1: 2 eggs, 6 egg whites, greens and steak mince
Meal 2 (pre-workout meal): Chicken, veg and rice
Preworkout: Optimum Nutrition pre-workout, 5g creatine, 5g glutamine
Workout session
Post-workout: 1.5 scoops Optimum Nutrition Hydrowhey
Meal 3: Chicken and veg
Meal 4: Chicken, sweet potato and veg
Meal 5: Chicken and veg
Before bed: Casein and peanut butter
I’m taking a lot of supplements to allow my body to cope with the intense training I’m putting myself through. This is what I take each day – it may look like a lot, but it’s really manageable:
Opti Men
Fish Oil
BCAAs
Creatine
Glutamine
Hydrowhey
Gold Standard 100% Whey
Casein
Glycomaise
Platinum Pre-Workout
Amino Energy
I’m really excited about the photoshoot which is just around the corner now. I think Tim has timed my training perfectly and I’m looking forward to getting in front of the camera.
Coach’s Verdict
‘Ben has consistently worked hard throughout his Upgrade programme – he’s done a really good job of keeping his diet consistent which has always been the his biggest challenge,’ says Tim Chase. ‘He has his carbs around training sessions to help reduce his body fat. When that’s combined with the HIIT training he does three weeks, we’re can virtually see the fat drop off him.’
The Workout: back and biceps
A) Bent-over row (4x8-10)
B) Wide lat pull-down (4x8-10)
C) Narrow-grip seated row (use a hammer grip) (4x8-10)
D) Straight-arm cable pull-down (3x8-10) – Set cable to top, pull bar down keeping arms straight.
E) Alternating dumbebll curl (twist through movement) (3x8-10)
F) Cable biceps curl (set cable to bottom) (3x8-10)
