WHY HAVE I DECIDED TO END THE BULK?

0:00 Right, so pre-workout going in, which is well, pre-workout supplementation. This is a pump product, Muscle Sport. It's really good. It's a great flavor. Has some hydration stuff in it as well. Basically, you know, it's just the purpose of pump is like making sure you are well hydrated and you're having things that do give you good blood flow because essentially when you're dieting and you're flatter, that connection, that extra blood flow, that feel of the muscle when you train is so important. I think a lot of the times the reason that like performance can drop if you're in a deficit isn't just because you've got less glycogen, but because you feel your muscle less. It's just harder to contract. So, this stuff will help a lot. So, 17 g of this going in and then I literally just drink black coffee before I train.

0:40 I've gone off the stem pre's and it's been one of the best things I've ever done, but maybe at some point in this diet I might put it back in. But, you know, any point like where you're like a little bit heavier, just just control your caffeine intake a little bit more because you'll be out of breath and you won't feel good if you just smash loads of pre-workout. At least for what for what I So, yeah, Muscle Sport pump and then black coffee, which I'll drink now. I'll drink that in the car, basically.

1:13 That's strong. 5 g of coffee in there. It's nice. I love it. I love bitter bitter tasting You like it? Yeah, you you either love it or you don't. I love a strong coffee. Just black. Right, so heading to the gym and it's worth touching on why I'm dieting. You know, it's very as you can see it's a very motivating summer diet right now. It's great weather. Just getting me so excited to to get shredded in the sun.

1:45 but yeah, I know the reason I'm dieting though is not because it's well, it's like one of those things where I've reached a point in in my training that I'm at a stage now where my physique, 100% I know, is going to benefit from better diet phases. Let's take staying closer to my stage weight. Like the the thing that last prep that limited me was mostly conditioning, right? If I was absolutely peeled on stage, I would have done a little bit better.

2:19 Now, to be able to do that is to get this keeping close to my stage weight and it's dieting from better positions. Like I used to push up to 95 kilos and diet from that. Why not diet from 92 kilos, leaner, more responsive, feeling good, appetite's high, and see how well momentum can be built. The truth is, it's exactly what's happened. Momentum's been crazy. I'm gone from 92 kilos to 88.3 kilos in like 2 weeks, >> >> which is is wild, to be honest. Like it's been a really good response.

2:50 And yeah, it's just basically just dieting from a place where you are still pretty receptive. Makes a huge difference. So, yeah, the goal was a little bit of a reset. Now, I do really believe that like the biggest thing that you need to focus on when you are a bodybuilder is having absolute confidence with the phase you're in, okay? Like doing it with conviction and doing it well. Like that's so important. So, if you're at a stage in your bulk where it's no longer being done with conviction because you think it's a bit like you're unsure if it's the right move or you've lost the fun of it, which can happen, then go into the next phase and go into it with with passion and and excitement.

3:30 >> >> So, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm going to this diet with excitement. I'm locked in. I'm I'm enjoying it. And it is kind of all relative. Like if you diet now or not, you diet for longer afterwards if you don't. Like if I didn't diet now, I'll just diet for longer later and I'll push up a bit longer. Or I diet now, diet for less long and I push up sooner. It's kind of relative in a way. The only difference The only difference between this and pushing up for longer is does the actual body weight that I carry give me more in the gym? Does it give me more performance? And does that performance translate to more muscle?

4:02 Some people it will, some people won't. And the key the key is really like where is the quality of work going when you have that body weight? Like are you throwing it around because of body fat? Are you getting stronger because of body fat? Or are you actually getting stronger because you have more muscle? And that's something you need to identify because genuinely a lot of you people will be getting stronger just because you are heavier, right?

4:22 The best way you figure that out is training accurately. Don't start throwing the weight around. Because if you do that, you will just think, "Oh, well, like I'm getting stronger, great." But actually it's not related to more muscle. >> >> So, you know, I do think a lot of people with the if you're in your first ever push-up, go pretty far with it and experience heavier body weights and just be strong. Just to tick that box, like do it.

4:48 Say you got very strong. And then diet down and see what it did. You know, what have I learned? Going up to these body weights and later on, not the first push-up, but later on in my process, I diet down and I see the issue of like dieting being difficult and sacrificing tissue in the prep. So, therefore, I need to be able to be dieting sooner and staying adapted to higher food and doing it efficiently. So, that's what we're doing.

5:14 yeah. But anyway, we'll talk a bit more about the plan of action with the diet phase, maybe post-lockdown. we'll get into training now. Show you some highlights of this upper two session, which I don't think I've ever filmed for you guys for YouTube. I don't know, have I? No, I don't think so. So, yeah, you can see how I approach that. And yeah, we good session. I'm excited for it. We'll see how we get on. I'm just taking my time to get warm because yeah, so the need to get more blood flowing like right now on this. I feel a little sore.

5:49 But, that can't happen when you first enter the deficit. It's like just getting used to it. I just want to say that self-belief is such an important thing. And, obviously in the car I was talking about like being really confident in the phase you're in and how the difference that makes. But, just just thought I'd just touch on like having confidence in your ability to achieve something, whatever that may be, is so important, especially in bodybuilding.

6:13 Like believing in what your physique will be in 5, 10 years. There is no situation where not believing in yourself or not being crazy confident in what you can achieve. There's no situation where that is better. It's always better to be absolutely confident that you will do what you want to do. However, what comes with that confidence needs to be the confidence that you will do the work. If you believe you will achieve something and it's like just destined for you without working stupidly hard, then that's bad. But, if you actually just genuinely believe like I will do this. I will get it done. I believe I will work so hard to achieve it. Like if you have that self-belief, the belief in your ability to be relentless with working towards your goals and getting something done that you set out to do, there's no situation where not having that is better.

7:02 No situation. So, picture your physique in 5 years and it will happen, whatever you want. Like you will do it, but you have to believe that you will do the work, too. And it just makes me I think about this because of the clients I work with and I just know that they just have a sense of calmness in their ability to achieve what they want to do. They just know it's it's it's heading in that direction.

7:24 They're the athletes that are on another level. They're composed. They're calm. They see it out there to be achieved to to grab that opportunity. They see it's there and they just do it. So, they just have that confidence. So, little flight tip. Shoulder flexion is important. Like movement of your shoulders. Flexion there is important. It's just when you do it. So, if I'm back here and I go terrible. Pecs just haven't moved. If I'm back here and I go there, perfect. Great. Now, if I keep going like this, not great.

7:57 Why? This is not shortened anywhere near as much. Once you get to here, let the shoulders come round a little bit. I can now feel more pec engaging through cuz I have shoulder flexion implemented into it. It's timing. Keep your shoulders back. Get them back. Roll through. Shoulders go back. And then you stretch. And that'll make a huge difference.

9:06 >> >> Oh. Nice. I'll take that. My shoulders are a little bit sore as well. It's It's actually because I put in the flat mega mass press for the first time.

9:37 Just cuz the thought of it broke. Well, I broke it. I only put 15 kilos on the stack. So, I don't know what happened there. But, yeah. The flat press is heavy in the stretch. So, that's why I'm sore. It's more lat than vice. I'll be adapted to it next week, we'll be fine. And then this will probably push up even more. Eight reps from that I'll take. This is a lot of front lat, but it's obviously a bit of upper back as well, which is just what I need. So, it's not bad thing if I'm a little bit, you know.

10:07 It's good just to get strong in this press. Oh. That's a grinder. It's so heavy at the top.

10:39 You just have to push on. Oh. Yes, it's going to see how I row before. Well, that works. Which is a new adjustment. I just find this is quite a taxing exercise. The gym mate is very heavy at the top. It's very heavy movement. So, I'd rather go into it fresher. Makes such a difference. You know, movements where you feel like you're hitting a bit of a wall.

11:11 Just the resistance profile. Just make sure that you do it early in your session. prioritizing upper back and the front is fine for me. I think my back is like, I need more upper back, I need more lat. Maybe a bit more lat than upper back. But, my other upper day I do lats first, so I'm happy with this approach. It works. Feels good. but I'm just like really trying to keep control and keep pressure my chest on the pad at all times.

11:45 >> >> Oh.

13:54 Oh. Oh, feels really good. I wanted to swap and see how the lat row but the one I was doing is not fixed. This fixed on one of the D handles. This is These are really nice. And having no chest support feels pretty good. Cuz you're just isolating the lat. You don't really This is sort of a isolating movement. You don't really need a chest support that much for this. That felt really good.

14:49 Oh. Oh, there's literally nothing better than a pullover. I don't know why I didn't haven't done this for years. I literally was doing like half the stack when I started this. Now I've got 25 on the on the stack. It's just how you grow muscle. It's as simple as that. Feels so good though. The stability is so good. It's just everything's Machines which allow you to be very, very stable are perfect and this seat belt helps a lot but it kills it like digs into my waist.

15:27 Just have to like ignore that. Oh, That was heavy.

16:05 >> >> All right, so after done, we're going to chuck this prep king in the milk in the milk in the in the microwave.

19:12 yeah, it's just because of like time. It's probably easy to Sometimes I do this. they taste really good, so they're coated with cinnamon. So, support the business. It is crazy macros. It's like 8 g of fat, 37 g 44 g of protein. So, I'm going to have this and then I'm going to do these, which are really nice. What does this remind you of? >> Gosh, LA. >> Yeah, LA. Yeah, rice cakes. I've not rice cakes for a while. Reminds me of prep, but yeah, cuz I only face some carbs. Usually have 150 g of rice post workout, so could have the whole pack, really.

19:51 but yeah, I'll probably do a little bit more carbs in the next meal as well. But yeah, it just saves time. So, chuck this in. upper was good. Yeah. Form was holding really well. I'm I'm going into this diet like just like not really changing anything. In the past, I used to be a bit like, "Oh, I need to be more controlled and reset movements." I'm not doing that. I'm just going in and just training how you would usually train.

20:11 my objective is to yeah, just just progress still and just grow. Like, why not? I feel great. Like, this is how I feel like the best I've ever felt, really, so going into a deficit is not going to change that, in my opinion. so Yeah. So, anyways, going to eat that, going to do some check-ins. And then we'll chat a little more about kind of like how I'm approaching the start and the methods and stuff, cuz I haven't actually touched on like what I'm even eating yet, like intake and and so on.

20:46 So, we'll get into that in a bit. But I need to get into check-ins. Let's go. All right, so I figured I'll talk now about kind of the approach for this diet phase. I'm just doing some steps now, as you can see. yeah, the goal was just to do 10k steps today. It's pretty easy, right? But it's crazy, like with the amount of work I do at my desk, like I'm cool and stuff. It's actually quite hard to get that in, to be honest. I've got a standing desk I need to assemble one and it'll make life a lot easier.

21:12 But yeah, just 10k a day and that's just going to be the the same throughout this process and that will just keep me moving. and then in terms of how I'm approaching things with food, 300 g of carb training day, 200 carb rest day, 60 g of fat, 50 g of fat. Training day 60 g of fat rest day. 220 g of protein. That's my baseline calorie intake, which will get me flying. I mean, I've lost like I said, 4 kilos pretty much in the space of 2 weeks, which is great.

21:44 I think I'm 88.3, I think. When I get like sub-84, I think that will be where some really good detail will be in my physique. I think pushing to the low 80s would be really good and I'm very determined for this diet to show how much muscle I truly have at the end of a diet and to show very good detail there. So, another thing that we've we've implemented with AJ is he suggested for me at my discretion to have a 450 carb high day when it suits me. So, when I'm moving through this process and I feel like training doesn't feel as good, I feel a bit more empty and I've noticed things start to get a bit more difficult, then I can put that in just to reset and protect performance as much as possible.

22:30 But the truth is I probably won't need that for a while. if this diet's going to be 12 weeks, we're like at week 10, sorry. We're 2 weeks in, we've got 10 weeks left, maybe. Probably like 5 weeks remaining will be when I start to think about that. maybe. We'll see. You know, maybe a bit sooner, maybe like one day could be helpful. But we'll just see how I feel and how I respond. But it's a good way of approaching it cuz it's low stress. I just when I feel like I actually need it, I can put it in for me, right?

22:59 But yeah, we'll keep moving for now. Should see a a pretty good week ahead. And it's just easy right now. But the goal was to just literally have the best performance possible from the start and that's going to happen through not crash dieting, but moving quickly at the right times, which is right now. And then slowing it down later on. Really slowing it down when I'm in that like low low 80s kind of region, basically. So yeah. But it's quite nice dieting in the summer, I know I shouldn't say that cuz it's raining as I said earlier, but like I've never been leaner into this time of the year, so it's not bad. Another thing that helps is the fact that it's really hot. So it never really made sense for me to push beyond 200 lbs and just tank sleep quality cuz I'm so hot all the time.

23:45 It's probably better for me to just stay around slightly lighter body weight during the summer and then keep sleep quality in a better position that way. So anyways got a few more check-ins, got some calls with new guys joining the team. And yeah, things are going well. So let's see how we get on. All right. So we're just going to do a little bit of a wrap-up in terms of where we are in this process of the diet phase. So I know this video was about kind of the diet phase and we're going to film a bit more, but Aaron has to leave and then we've basically just progressed a week and now we're in a place where it'd be good just to talk about kind of where we're at in the process. I think it's kind of works better because you can see kind of where I'm looking. So Aaron's just filming post legs. Where body weight's like been pretty steady the last week and a bit.

24:28 I'm at 87 kilos. Today I have hit lows of 86.4, but the heat wave is just definitely just created a little bit of water retention, which is what will happen when you've got like you're not super lean, like body will just your body will just go up and down. I know suddenly there's going to be a drop, but I feel good right now. I've been doing the carb cycling. Performance has been actually improving. I took 220 kg for six on the on my RDL not that long ago. well, last week.

24:53 So that was almost at all-time strength level strength there. And the fullness and the roundness of my physique when I was great. And this is what I'm really prioritizing this time round. It's like really seeing how good I can look at a higher body weight, and not chasing the scale, because I think for me chasing the scale can pull away from my physique pretty significantly. And I've seen it with like other clients that I've worked with with, you know, like Callum and people like that, that you can actually just make the same body weight just like look better and better and better. And obviously, if I was into prep, I'm going to have to be maybe getting down to 75 kilos or something like that, maybe 76. Who knows? Maybe even 77, maybe 74. But the truth is, to know where I need to be for that, and to see how truly good I can be at that body weight instead of getting down to like 72, which was the last time, I need to really make sure I'm patient in this process and keep performance high. Because I shouldn't be losing performance in a diet phase as long as it's done at the at the right pace. Protecting the performance to the fullest so I can end that prep where I need to be. And so far, so good. But there's no timeline with this diet. It's get as lean as I can with performance holding and looking good. And then we just go back up. That's it.

25:54 You know, I don't need to get sub 80 for the sake of it. What I want is to look like what I'm envisioning in my head as being sub 80. So if I can do that at a higher body weight, that's a huge win. but yeah, you can see the look. I will show us I'm speaking and >> >> it's a decent It's a post legs, so a little bit of water retention. A little bit of water in the look right now anyway. I can see that.

26:15 Just the heat. It's just hot, you know, there's a lot of sweat and stuff and yeah, as I get a little bit lighter, we'll manage that better, but just staying in my routine and I go away for a week this week with seeing friends, so that's fine. Like if I body weight for that, like go a bit slow, I don't actually mind because I'm not in a rush. It'll be nice to enjoy some quality time with my friends, right? So it's nice diet It's dieting into summer not in prep. I can see friends. I can enjoy myself, so yeah, it's it's been going good, but yeah, things are going well. I'm very excited to see what kind of how this phase will end and just being patient with it basically, you know?

26:50 But we'll keep up doing updates. We'll do a lot of it like a day in the life again in prep and showing you guys kind of where I'm at as I get leaner. I honestly think these visuals are going to be really exciting. I honestly think it's going to really show where I can actually be as a natural bodybuilder. And it's going to be cool to showcase that because I I'm really determined to bring like a top pro level natural bodybuilder look. And we're we're on that way for sure. So.

27:13 Yeah, but I appreciate all the support, guys. We're going to keep the YouTube coming. And yeah, like the video if you enjoyed the content. Subscribe if you're new to the channel. And you know you know coaching is flying at the moment. Everything's going great. And I just really you know it's thanks to you guys being so loyal and supporting this channel. I know I'm not always super consistent, but you're always there supporting so it means a lot. And even to the ones that always consistently hate on me and say I'm not natural, I also support I also appreciate you cuz you're consistent. That's what it's about.

27:39 but anyways, appreciate the support. We'll see you in the next video.