How To Get There From Here-Ben’s Story
•Note• We attempt to update our pages whenever we can and the subject of the page has done something new or has something new to say. Ben furnished us with new material back in December. He has since done a few of the things that he talks about in the update below, including the January half marathon.
Sorry, Ben…we are finally getting around to posting some of your new stuff. …we were just, uhm, well hibernating!
UPDATE DEC. 2017-Winter Training
Ok, what do you have new to say? Start talking:
I hate winter. I love Christmas and all the food that comes with it, but everything else about winter leaves me cold. Low temperatures, miserable weather and less daylight doesn’t put me in the mood to train. But since I can’t hibernate like a bear, I’ve had to develop a couple of methods to keep me focused in the gym when I really don’t want to be.
So, what’s your take on keeping out of hibernation?
The first is switching up training techniques. Now’s a perfect time to add unfamiliar exercises to a workout programme.Twiddle the volume knob and turn it up or down. Tweak the sets and reps that you’re used to. I’ve been throwing some German volume training in with my usual routine or playing a game where I see how I can get to 100 reps with as few sets as possible.
The second is to make new goal markers. That might mean aiming for a new strength target, like setting a new PR with your squat. One of my goals for next year is to run 2 half marathons, the first of which is in January, which means I need to keep my cardio in check or I’ll be in trouble.
The end of the year is also a chance to look back and reflect on what you learned. See what worked for you over the course of the past 12 months, carry it over to the next year and throw away what didn’t work. For me, it was realising just how many calories I had to eat in order to put on decent muscle mass.
Keep talking, what are my next goals?
Improvement in every area. I’ve made a lot of progress in training this year and accomplished a lot. I feel like my strength and physique has really improved from where it was 12 months ago, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. In particular I’d like to add more size, so my training and diet are going to need to be tweaked accordingly. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned this year and apply it to next year’s training.
Older Stuff:
Ben joined the gym in 2009 when we were located in the building next door. Back then, Bodyworks had some limitations, less than half the current floor space and a rather ugly suspended ceiling, but still, it was a kick-ass place to train.
At the time, he spent most weekends commuting over to the mainland where he was either running marathons or learning the esoteric science & art of WWF wrestling. Ben is naturally quite competitive and when he can’t find anyone else to compete with, there is always himself that he can go toe-to-toe with. While he is quite aware of what other people think, he doesn’t seem to spend much time mulling over it. He certainly doesn’t appear to lose much sleep worrying about it. He’s a pretty chilled guy and very much his own man.
We were kind of curious to know what the basis of some of his motivation was.
So we decided to ask him.
Why Do You Train in the Gym?
Being active and strong just makes everything that little bit easier. You have more energy, more focus and more determination. The discipline you learn in the gym ends up bleeding into other areas of your life – work, relationships and education. It’s a great de-stresser too.
I started lifting weights when I was 16-17, like a lot of teenagers. And like most of them starting out, I had no idea what I was doing. I would just do endless sets of curls, crunches, use random machines and wonder why I didn’t look like Jason Statham after a couple of years. It wasn’t till I was about 21 that I took the time to do my research, got on a sensible workout programme and began to see some progress.
Why Do You Train at BodyWorks?
Before I trained at Bodyworks, I’d been to several gyms on the island. Bodyworks was different. It had everything I needed – open 24 hours, spacious, a great atmosphere, a supplement store, heavy weights, every machine under the sun and an experienced owner. I don’t think anywhere else on the island can offer all that.
I’d recommend Bodyworks to anyone who’s looking to improve their fitness and strength in a supportive environment.
What Are Your Goals?
My short term goals at the moment are just to put on more size while trying to stay relatively lean. Long term goals are to get my strength numbers up and maybe compete in a physique show some day. A solid workout routine and eating enough is essential for all of these!
Who/What Inspires You?
Inspirations: My parents – My mum and dad taught me that if you want something you’ve got to be willing to work hard for it and be patient. They also always made sure they made time for me and my brother growing up.
Arnold Schwarzenegger – To most people, he’s just that muscular actor turned politician. But he grew up in a shack with no electricity in the Austrian countryside. Then he moved to a foreign country, went on to win Mr Olympia 7 times, bring bodybuilding into the mainstream, became a millionaire with his real estate/construction business, grew to an A list actor and state Governor on his first try. All while people laughed at him and said he couldn’t do it.
Any disabled athlete – These guys had adversity shoved on them to the point where just living a normal life takes twice as much effort. To work hard and compete on top of that takes incredible character. Whenever I think something I’m doing is hard, I try to remember how lucky I am to have a functioning body with no disabilities.
What Kind Of Music Do You Like To Listen To While Training?
Favourite workout music: Sabaton, Metallica, Rammestien, Tech Nine, Billy Talent, Lady Gaga
Beside Training What Other Hobbies/interests Do You Have?
Running, cooking, reading, Pro wrestling, movies, studying.
What Do You Like To Eat?
Roast chicken, ice cream, cheesecake, steak, cookies, eggs, pancakes, Chinese food.
UPDATE 22nd July, 2017
Recently, Ben has been busy with things. We caught up with him on his way into BodyWorks for the 2nd of his daily double-split routine training sessions.
When we asked him what he’d been up to, it was a little like opening up the gate on a game horse at its first race in the Kentucky Derby.
And this is what poured out:


