*** Members' Interview with AK_88***

This week member AK_88  has kindly agreed to be interviewed by you.

Please use this topic to ask him any questions about  lifestyle, training, diet and progress,  - or anything else - though please, nothing too personal or invasive.

Please bear with him and give him time to reply.

AK_88, thanks for agreeing to take part in this interview.

1) Can you give us a brief rundown of how you got into working out and how long you've been training?

2) What keeps you motivated?

3) What is your day job?

4) Whose interview have you enjoyed reading the most so far?


Thanks 

Thanks Hazel

1) Can you give us a brief rundown of how you got into working out and how long you've been training?

I've been training properly for about 3.5 years now, although knuckling down with my diet has't quite been there at times. I've generally been an active person with one sport or another since my childhood and became quite involved with swimming whilst i was at secondary school.

After seeing a friend lose quite a lot of weight and get into good shape (i think we were 15 at the time) i decided i wanted to get into something similar and began doing what all teenage boys do in the gym, nothing productive! It wasn't until i was 18 that i made the decision to do it the right way and came across MT which put me on the right track with diet, training and everything else i needed to know.

2) What keeps you motivated?

Enjoyment! I love training with weights and enjoy getting bigger and stronger. Theres been times where it's lacked because of injury or a lack of progress/direction, but rather than just go through the motions and tread water as i used to do, i've learnt to change things up and reassess whats going wrong and what i need to sort it.

I've started going to some BB'ing shows this year too and it definately leaves a feeling of inspiration seeing what people are capable of whether they're competing as juniors or o50's. If nothing else it helps keep my diet in check for a few extra days!

3) What is your day job?

Hmm Well i completed my undergraduate degree in Sport & Exercise Science from Portsmouth University in July of this year and i've not been able to find any work since! Most of my peers have been in the same situation, i don't think anyone has found a real 'career' job yet, most are doing temping work or low-key jobs just to bring some money in. I'm still hopeful of finding something before i start my MSc course in Physiotherapy in February, but it's just a matter of getting in there before everyone else does.

4) Whose interview have you enjoyed reading the most so far?

Neb's interview was quite a read and i'd like to hope i can generate more pages than him, but Elfintan's was a good read with regards to really living the BB'ing life.

Journal

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Great choice. Top member. My questions:

1) How has your training differed from when you trained with IB and trained without (style, progress made, intensity)

2) You're very knowledgeable about the science behind training. Are your studies related in any way?

3) What's your favourite exercise?

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain

1) How has your training differed from when you trained with IB and trained without (style, progress made, intensity)

When i first started training with IB (probably around this time last year) i was very much in a rut. The previous year of training i'd made very little progress in terms of strength and size gains for whatever reasons and i was ticking over hoping i'd come out of it (but without doing anything different!!)

The intensity was the first thing that was truly jacked up, the first session we had together he had me on 15/20 rep squats, 15 rep leg presses, and dropset extensions and leg curls But also how much less volume he had me use as a result. Previously i was doing probably 20-25 sets per training session, but not really going hell for leather on them. He made me cut the crap out and we went back to the bread and butter stuff to start with, and really hammered it. Routines changed here and there, but in general the intensity was the main thing that really took me out of my comfort zone.

The progress i made in the 8 months or so i trained with IB were the ones were everything shot up. My strength was the best it'd ever been, size was coming on much better and training in general was so much more enjoyable because it was actually going somewhere for a change. I learnt a lot of lessons through those 8 months and it really helped reignite my love for training with weights.

2) You're very knowledgeable about the science behind training. Are your studies related in any way?

I've always been fascinated with human anatomy and physiology and all it's encompassing aspects. Although i sort of fell into Sport Science at degree-level, the main reason i chose it was due to the analysis of sports performance in a number of different aspects (Physiologically, biomechanically, psychologically). I really enjoyed this degree, but for me theres something about the rehabilitation side of both healthcare and sporting performance that appeals to me more than performance optimisation.

When i first started thinking about my dissertation in my second year  i'd already decided i would be looking at something to do with weight-training. Thankfully i was given the choice of coming up with my own idea and refining it with my supervisor. Eventually we decided on an EMG analysis (measuring the electrical muscle activity) of the Pecs/Delts/Tri's in response to isolated eccentric and concentric contractions during a flat BB bench exercise with varying loads.

I'll be doing another dissertation next year with my MSc, so if i can relate it back to training in some way i'll be doing my best to, simply because writing about something that you enjoy and interests you is far less tedious to write 8,000 words on!

3) What's your favourite exercise?

Can i say two?

Pre-back injuries it was always deadlifts because i could shift the most weight on it, albeit with rather bad form (which was unbeknowst to me at the time!), but once i was unable to do heavy DL's my enjoyment changed towards high rep back/hack squats, simply because of how physically and mentally demanding they were to complete (especially when you've got a slavedriver telling you to repeat the rep because it wasn't good enough ).

Thankfully though i seem to be over the worst of my back problems and i'm looking forward (patiently i might add) to shifting some heavy deads again.

Journal

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Average choice, is this how bad things have got? ............ anyway.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time, bodywise and lifewise. 

Cardifflads journal - feel free to explore and add your two pennies

Cardifflad


Average choice, is this how bad things have got? ............ anyway.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time, bodywise and lifewise. 

Saving the best members till last clearly!

10 years time? In an ideal world i'll be able to hop from my MSc into a Physio job as soon as possible and start building up a portfolio of experience and getting my foot in the door of Sports Physio. My ambitious end-goal is to get into professional sport and/or to own my own practice with a recognised reputation (similar to Stu Cosgrove for the northern members)

Body-wise, not a clue From time to time i have BB'ing competition aspirations but others i become really focused on strength training. So realistically i could be on stage in a squat suit, or in a pair of posing trunks, who knows!

Journal

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Hey there AK - 2 questions:

1 Why isnt there a decent gym within a half hour drive of chelmsford?   (damn I miss Devon House....)

2 Can you give us a brief idea what you're current programme looks like

thanks

Eventually we decided on an EMG analysis (measuring the electrical muscle activity) of the Pecs/Delts/Tri's in response to isolated eccentric and concentric contractions during a flat BB bench exercise with varying loads

Can you précis the results as this sounds rather interesting.

Do you think as a follow up study you could use EMG analysis to measure inner, outer, upper and lower pectoral recruitment on flat, decline and incline bench, just to clear this up once and for all......

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain

tac


Hey there AK - 2 questions:

1 Why isnt there a decent gym within a half hour drive of chelmsford?   (damn I miss Devon House....)

2 Can you give us a brief idea what you're current programme looks like

thanks

1) LOL - i know exactly what you mean! Southend, Colchester, Billericay, every other town in Essex has a proper gym. I guess Chelmsford is too upmarket for anything that isn't a 'health club'

2) Currently i'm training on a 10 day split - 5 sessions separated by a day's rest then repeat;

Day 1 - Quads/Calves
Day 3 - Back Thickness/Bi's
Day 5 - Chest/Tri's
Day 7 - Hams/Glutes/Calves
Day 9 - Back Width/Delts
Day 11 - Repeat

I'm enjoying training this way at the moment as previously i'd tried to fit 5 sessions in 8 days, which lead to me burning out every few weeks. I'm hoping now the extra 48 hours rest per training cycle will allow me to recover and gain much better.

LMC

Eventually we decided on an EMG analysis (measuring the electrical muscle activity) of the Pecs/Delts/Tri's in response to isolated eccentric and concentric contractions during a flat BB bench exercise with varying loads

Can you précis the results as this sounds rather interesting.

Do you think as a follow up study you could use EMG analysis to measure inner, outer, upper and lower pectoral recruitment on flat, decline and incline bench, just to clear this up once and for all......

To keep it brief - none of my conditions showed statistical significance between one another (that is muscle activity wasn't deemed significantly different from one condition to the next). If you ignore statistical values - which i did because i was using a very small sample size (2 students!) concentric contractions generally produced more muscle activity than eccentric contractions, whilst the pec was the least active of the three muscles measured during the majority of conditions. I can forward the final copy to you if you like - it's a bit meaty in some parts but skimming over the methodology might be sufficient if you want a better idea of what i did.

I'd loved to have done a more indepth study to follow on from this one, but what i found from undertaking my own study was that;

Volunteers are unbelievably hard to come by unless you have an incentive for them

Controlling internal/external factors to maximise data validity is a nightmare.

Everything that can go wrong with research, generally does!

Theres definately a gap for a paper like you've mentioned above, but my guessing is that its quite a substantial area to cover for a researcher and also that for those who have a grasp of the all or nothing principle would say why bother writing a paper for something we already know  to be true?

Broscience has a lot of things to answer for in this case.

Journal

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Interesting - not really seen back work seperated out into thickness & width before, how are you finding that?

I guess this means you only bench every 10 days? I think that would cause me withdrawal symptoms and anxiety, lol

On a side note I forgot the most important question of all -

Jimi Hendrix deserves to be made an Official Saint... YES or NO?

I quite enjoy it - if you think about it logically compared to the chest or legs, it's much more a group of muscles than a single/multi-headed muscle and for me deserves a bit more attention because of that. I found in the past that trying to fit in sufficient volume in the way of deads/rows/chins/pulldowns and whatever else you want to do is just too much to really hit it hard in one session.

'Thickness' and 'Width' are just arbitrary terms though TBH - thickness days consist of more upper back/rowing type movements, whereas width days are more geared towards Lats/chins/pulldown movements. Deads i do with glutes and hams.

I know what you mean about benching, i'm starting to finally press some good numbers so 10 days off can be a bit of a headfck to start with, but i think too many have a pre-conception that a muscle is ready to go again in 7 days time.

Hendrix should definately be a saint, give him a national holiday day too!

Journal

Youtube Channel

Cheers Al, you come across as an intelligent young chap and I wish you all the best mate

Cardifflads journal - feel free to explore and add your two pennies

Hey ak, a few questions for you.........

How strict are you with your diet and what do you scoff down on a normal day?

What is your dream job?

Would you sell your soul to the devil for ronnie coleman's genetics?

Cheers

Jules

good read so far mate

1) What are your current goals?
2) Are you hoping to compete?

Cardifflad


Cheers Al, you come across as an intelligent young chap and I wish you all the best mate

Thanks pal - it'll be a long 2 years starting in February but i'm hoping my end goal will keep me motivated to do well.

jules.j


Hey ak, a few questions for you.........

How strict are you with your diet and what do you scoff down on a normal day?

What is your dream job?

Would you sell your soul to the devil for ronnie coleman's genetics?

Cheers

Jules

I'd say my diet is pretty good right now since i'm almost always able to eat what i need when i need it! Although sometimes when i can't be bothered to cook or i'm not particularly hungry i'll have something easy like oats & whey.

Generally though a days eating looks something like;

11am - 150g oats, 2 scoops unflavoured whey. 5 fish oil caps, multivitamin.

1-1:30pm - 150g oats, 250g cottage cheese, banana

3pm - Train

4.30pm - 100g maltodextrin, 2 scoops whey

6-6.30pm - Some sort of carbs and protein to amount to 40g+ protein and 70-80g carbs.

9pm - Whatevers easily available - this meal i need to do better with as it tends to be a sandwich and a scoop of whey or something similar.

11pm - 300g cottage cheese, 30g nuts.

Veg with meals throughout the day where i can fit them in.

Dream job? At the moment it'd involve being on the medical team for Chelsea (my football team), but realistically if i can get into elite sport as a Physio then i'd be equally elated with that

Hmm, the devil offers a tempting deal, since ronnie coleman is as huge as he is strong. I'll have to think about that one

Journal

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naththebeast


good read so far mate

1) What are your current goals?
2) Are you hoping to compete?

1) At present my main aim is to keep injury and niggle free. My right shoulder and lower back has intermittently plagued the last 18 months or so of my training so theres been a little more chopping and changing in some areas than i'd like.

Aside from that though for 2010 i'm gunning for a 3 plate bench (for a single), and to get back to heavy DL'ing and Squatting. If i can keep myself in good nick i don't think a 4 plate squat and 5 plate DL is out of the question as long as i'm patient with my progress and keep form tight!

2) When IB was training for his first show there was definately part of me that felt like i wanted to do the same, in spite of all the tantrums he had Realistically though right now i'm not carrying anywhere near enough mass to warrant thinking about it. Currently i'm just looking to get stronger and heavier to put on some quality mass, and worry about tuning up my condition later on.

Depending on how things go, who knows. I'm still exploring what i respond best to in terms of training and dieting and if i can hone in on what makes me grow then it's a possibility. But for now my sole focus is to train as hard as i can without blowing my back out again. I would hazard a guess if i can train well for the next few years and add some real size then i'll be in a better position to evaluate where i go from there

Journal

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Would you class yourself as vain?

What are your views on steroids?

Do many in your circle of friends train? 

MMA vs Boxing?

Well that's that barrell well and truly scrapped! lol

Stonehenge
 
Where the banshees live and they do live well

iaink


Well that's that barrell well and truly scrapped! lol

Cheers, i'll remember that next time your bench shirt tears with 180kg over your neck

Packup Pete


Would you class yourself as vain?

What are your views on steroids?

Do many in your circle of friends train? 

MMA vs Boxing?

I wouldn't say i'm vain. I take pride in my accomplishments if people ask about them, whether it's lifting related, academic or whatever else but have no real desire to boast about them. Personal appearance i stopped being bothered about a long time ago too - nowadays i'll wear what i like the look of or what fits. Life's no fun when you're up your own arse all the time.

Steroids aren't for me personally, but as with other PED's from a spectator's point of view i find it quite fascinating how much can be achieved with proper use. Despite all the evidence that flies in the face of what the media hype suggests, for me theres always going to be something niggling in the back of my mind that says they're not as straightforward as made out to be. Mainly though that thought comes from having a mother with a career in various healthcare roles - so although she subscribes to the sensationalism of steroid use, for some reason it carries some weight on my conscience because it comes from her! So simply put - fine when used responsibly, but not for me

Unfortunately i'm the only person in my social circle that trains both from uni and at home. I've got plenty of mates who 'go to the gym' and don't get anywhere, and know maybe 1 person from school who trains seriously (at the same gym as me coincidentally). Some of my mates from home probably weigh around half what i do, no exaggeration! I quite like it this way though, i hate talking about training to people who aren't really clued up on it as it takes too long and it allows me to have my own time to destress when im training, although i did cop some banter the other week when i said i was going to the Mr Hercules show

If i'm honest i don't have a great deal of interest in either - occasionally i keep an eye on the boxing results if theres a big fight on but other than that i don't really follow either of them

Journal

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What you getting for xmas?
 

Dbam comes, spouts some ****, DBAM goes.

Is it true that you applied IB's varnish prior to his show?

And if so how long did it take you sitting in the shower, scrubbing yourself and crying did it take for you to feel clean?

MT All Round Member of the Year

2011

Whatever you're buying me.

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what got you into supporting Chelsea when there is a far superior London club just down on the holloway road

 Has your journal lost traffic since Mods started posting in it ??? LOL

Top lad, good to see you getting quizzed by the others.

Where would you like to be in 10 years time?

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Because my old man is a Chelsea fan, although my grandad was an Arsenal fan. I guess my dad just wanted to be difficult

Don't know about superior though

Journal

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dirtyvest


 Has your journal lost traffic since Mods started posting in it ??? LOL

Top lad, good to see you getting quizzed by the others.

Where would you like to be in 10 years time?

LOL, if anything it's picked up a smidge! Do keep up though;

10 years time? In an ideal world i'll be able to hop from my MSc into a Physio job as soon as possible and start building up a portfolio of experience and getting my foot in the door of Sports Physio. My ambitious end-goal is to get into professional sport and/or to own my own practice with a recognised reputation (similar to Stu Cosgrove for the northern members)

Body-wise, not a clue From time to time i have BB'ing competition aspirations but others i become really focused on strength training. So realistically i could be on stage in a squat suit, or in a pair of posing trunks, who knows!

Reborn


Is it true that you applied IB's varnish prior to his show?

And if so how long did it take you sitting in the shower, scrubbing yourself and crying did it take for you to feel clean?

Thankfully i didn't have to, i made my excuses and got out of Pompey before his show as our friendship doesn't quite extend to me varnishing his unreachables

Journal

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heh heh...been waiting for this one

1) why do you do that annoying mouth click noise when you're looking for something?

2) do you miss city gym?

3) do you find yourself slipping into any old/bad habits now you are out of earshot of my bellowing/whining?

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Remember when I sent you that photo of my turd?

Are you really offline ?
 
Or is it the ole sign out and look like a guest thing?
 
 
LMAO 

Dbam comes, spouts some ****, DBAM goes.

Which MT members have you met?
Which MT member(s) would you like to meet?
Which MT member(s) would you like to train with?
Which MT member(s) would you like to have a big boozy night out with?

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain

name your all time premiership 11.

'i split with my gf because it made me feel sick when i saw her eat hi gi carbs'
- swordfish

DBAM


Are you really offline ?
 
Or is it the ole sign out and look like a guest thing?

LMAO 

LOL, i was actually away doing some new exercise fad. Cardio i think it's called?
 

Incredible Bulk


heh heh...been waiting for this one

1) why do you do that annoying mouth click noise when you're looking for something?

2) do you miss city gym?

3) do you find yourself slipping into any old/bad habits now you are out of earshot of my bellowing/whining?

1) I have absolutely no idea I do it around the house and if i'm playing on an ITBOX in the pub, just call me sonar boy.

2) Massively. As much of a novelty as it is to train in a gym with plenty of good looking cardio bunnies, the place i train at currently is devoid of any atmosphere and i can probably count on one hand the number of people who train properly. I definately train much better and gain more when i train in a place like City where everyone's goals are near enough the same. I don't miss everyone dropping atomic farts though

3) Actually i think i manage to do pretty well by myself now. I've managed to kick the age old habit of stopping at X reps if theres more in the tank, no more of this saving myself for whatevers left of the session. The only stuff i sometimes have to think twice about is benching as most of the spotters are sh1t so i can't do forced negatives any more.

Neb


Remember when I sent you that photo of my turd?

I do, it was more appealing than the pic of your wife that you put up (and that i still have on my hard drive)

Journal

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You touch yourself when you look at my Mrs.

Serious question.

Ever since I've known you, you've been a work shy c.unt!....isn't it about time you dropped this 'Uni' farce, went out there and got a proper job?

Who is your idol in life, both from a celebrity/sporting aspect and also a personal aspect? 

What is your greatest fear? 

swift


name your all time premiership 11.

That'll take some thought, i'll come back to that one when i've pondered it a bit.

LMC


Which MT members have you met?
Which MT member(s) would you like to meet?
Which MT member(s) would you like to train with?
Which MT member(s) would you like to have a big boozy night out with?

I've met and trained with IB and Iaink, Iain's definately the better poser, had a brief chat with James and Zara at the South Coast show this year, and spotted Welshy, Desmo and Hazel from a distance at the Hercules on sunday.

DBAM and Neb seem like ****s so i'd probably get along with them quite well, i'm not sure who else i'd like to meet, anyone who i'd get along with really

Seeing some of the sessions James has had with Daz Ball i think he'd be fun to train with to take the intensity to the next level, as do some of Elfintan's as theres a lot of improvisation in her stuff so it could be fun for a change, so i guess T0NY and Boar come into that category too!

Boozy night out would definately have to be Neb and CL since they're both pissheads, though i don't really drink any more so i'm sort of glad they can't pull me up on that offer.

Journal

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Packup Pete


Who is your idol in life, both from a celebrity/sporting aspect and also a personal aspect? 

What is your greatest fear? 

Hmm thats a tough one. The only sport i really follow is football and keep a casual eye on the cricket sometimes, but the majority of footballers are wankers and wouldn't really regard them as idols. I hold a lot of my favourite musicians (Hendrix, Led Zep, that sort of era) in high regard because the stuff they've produced over the years, to me, is pretty mindblowing. From a personal point of view though my grandad is someone i held with the greatest of respect - even more so when his eulogy was read at his funeral.

Greatest fear definately would be for me or someone close to me to develop some form of debilitating disease. The thought of not being in control of myself in whatever aspect absolutely terrifies me.

Neb


You touch yourself when you look at my Mrs.

Serious question.

Ever since I've known you, you've been a work shy c.unt!....isn't it about time you dropped this 'Uni' farce, went out there and got a proper job?

I've been looking for work since July, but for want or worse noone wants to employ a graduate with a first class degree for a few months! I'm hopeful that adding 'MSc' to my name will help me, though i doubt it will LOL.

Journal

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How  do you fund yourself then?

What is the raddest thing you've ever done?
 
Did you own a bmx and which one was it?

Dbam comes, spouts some ****, DBAM goes.

DBAM


What is the raddest thing you've ever done?
 
Did you own a bmx and which one was it?

Unfortunately i never had a BMX - i had a mountain bike and used to play on some dirt jumps at the local park if that counts though?

Raddest thing i've ever done, i think that has to be waking up in a bush somewhere after a night out, i still have no recollection of how i got there LOL

Neb


How  do you fund yourself then?

I don't spend that much money really. My only expenses are petrol (fill up every 2 weeks or so), gym membership (30 quid a month ish) and supps (40 quid every 2 months, ish). I get about 30 quid a week with jobseekers and make sure i do enough around the house to earn my keep. It's a pretty sh1t situation because all the jobs i've/my mates have been applying for have been shat on by usually bigger earners having to take a massive paycut just to earn some cash.

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A BLOODY MOUNTAIN BIKE!!  NO NO NO NO NO
 

Raddest thing i've ever done, i think that has to be waking up in a bush

 
Muff diving can be strenous work what did she say?

Dbam comes, spouts some ****, DBAM goes.