•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:

“Hmm, what have I been up to since the last update?

I ran my 4th Tough Mudder, cut down to 10.9% bodyfat, started blogging, ran the Guernsey half marathon, finished up the assignments/exams for my diploma in anti-money laundering, attended the Bodypower Fitness Expo in Birmingham and participated in the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest event at Wembley Stadium.

“It was supposed to be a quiet summer. I guess I don’t like taking time off. My mum’s always nagging me telling me to take it easy. But if I’m not actively working towards something or focused on a project, I feel like I’m stagnating. Learning something new or making even just a little progress towards a goal every day helps keep me sharp. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. I picked up some nagging injuries (thanks Tough Mudder) and my most recent exams definitely kicked my ass.

 

 

 

“But you buckle up, put your head down, push through the challenges as best you can and work to the best of your ability with what you’ve got. It might mean adapting your workout or plugging a few more hours into your study time. I think the worst feeling is knowing you could’ve achieved more if you’d been more disciplined. It’s not all doom, gloom and struggle though. Sure, the running events I participated in were hard, but they were also an adventure. Bounding over obstacles at Tough Mudder made me feel like a kid again and running against my brother at the half marathon is always a (friendly) challenge I look forward to.

 

“Starting a blog gave me a chance to get back to writing creatively, which I find satisfying regardless if anybody out there actually reads the nonsense I spout. Getting to meet some world class bodybuilders in person at the Bodypower Expo was great fun and really opened my eyes to how far the human physique can be pushed. Great motivation! Now I’m looking forward to refocusing my goals in the gym. I’m putting long distance running behind me (for now) and there’s a few strength goals I want to begin to work towards. I’ll be focusing on eating more in an attempt to put on some serious size, especially to my lagging body parts (i.e. my legs). The same old rules apply. I’ll have to adapt my training, step back and look at myself objectively and set new goals. Maybe I’ll reach them, maybe I won’t.

 

“Sometimes half the fun is failing, re-evaluating and just pushing yourself harder next time. During my time at Bodyworks I’ve learnt not to fear failure – it’s inevitable. There’s plenty of reasons for it, but there’s no reason not to get back up and try again.

 

“Bodyworks is built towards that relentless attitude. The atmosphere there practically screams it. Hell, the place is open 24/7 – can’t make your workout this morning? Come back tonight! The door’s always open.

 

“I’ve been rambling on a bit, but if you want anything more, let me know. Feel free to cut anything that starts to sound boring.

 My blog is Muscle & Ice Cream.”

 

Actually, not much to edit, all came out pretty interesting.

As we mentioned, Ben seems like he’s keeping busy and enjoying it. Having a whole shopping list of things to get done doesn’t appear to keep him from training hard and making progress.

We kind of expect it won’t be too long now before we see him competing up on stage.