First off, thank you very much for giving our KagedMuscle fans your time to share your wisdom with us all Mezza! So to kick off, what does your training consist of at the moment?

At the moment I am just coasting along, I have lowered the intensity of my workouts. I’m being very careful in all that I do in the gym due to my lower back, and it is working. As we speak I am booked in for a treatment through the NHS ;0)

As for volume – My quad workout today consisted of two sets of leg extensions, two sets of hack squat and for the first time in a long while I got my rear end under the squat bar. I gave up this exercise due to a twisted lower back. I was able to do two plates each side easily; it felt like nothing on my back, but oh boy three plates each side felt like four and a half!!! – Crazy but true, I got to ten reps but did not push it.

Now for my biceps and triceps, I have been doing a set of biceps and then straight onto a tricep exercise then rest then repeat, high volume, rep range – 20 . 10 . 8 . 12 . 15 . 20 …. FAIL, at twenty reps for my first set then increase the weight till failing at ten reps. I repeat the set again with the same weight, then on the next set I lower the weight slightly and then repeat this for the rest of my sets.
I drink a good amount of water whilst I get my breath back along with ‘BCAA’s’ and ‘Glutamine’ which creates a huge pump!
Remember the beauty of weight training and bodybuilding –

There are so many workouts that you can perform for yourself. For instance, last week I picked every exercise I could think of for my back and did just one all out set for each exercise, again a HUGE pump and my word the next few days my back was feeling it.
My advice to you is to not become a creature of habit.

There are also many different splits but currently mine is: -

Calves and Back
Shoulders and Abdominal
Day Off
Hamstrings – I give quadriceps a tinkle but nothing like in years gone by when I use to do torture quad workouts. Looking back now, it was all most madness, no wonder I could hardly walk for days after.
Chest, Biceps and Triceps
Day Off
Day Off

This works for my current life style, you may find a totally different split that is more suited to yours.

Some great in there Mezza as well as so some great tips! Would you say you’re a strong bodybuilder?

I am no Pudzionowski! I would say that my strength peeked in 2008, when I released my DVD. Unfortunately due to my back injury, I have been unable to max out on many exercises. Hey I’m getting older and smarter now! ;0)

Right ok, let’s hear some of your biggest lifts!

Well once I lifted Jo (a girl from the past)! I carried her across a main road on a busy Saturday night, let me tell you, she was no size 8 …………..
I have had five plates a side on the squat bar and got to three reps, bear in mind, that I had straps on that were so tight that I was unable to get them off. I haven’t worn them since!!
I did 120 incline dumbbells around a month ago, but hurt my shoulder in the process, so now I have a shoulder injury! As you can see bodybuilding isn’t all about how much you can lift, as for me that day I was so fired up the 100s felt like 60s so I smashed the 120s and did my shoulder in ….. Crying like a big kid in the gym, so now I shall press the plastic blue 5kg dumbells for a month.

That first lift sounds insane ;). On a serious note, that some impressive lifting right there. What relevance do you feel strength has to bodybuilding?

Well you only have to look at the legend that is Mr. Ronnie Coleman and watch his ‘the cost of redemption’ DVD and that sums it all up mate :)

Ok. So obviously you value strength as a key component to build serious amounts of mass. Everyone raves about the three key compounds, squats, deadlifts and bench press. Do you subscribe to this or do you just see them as an ‘another exercise’?

Squats have worked for many others as well as me but for some they can still build great thighs with out this exercise. Deadlifts, I used to lift every week, but I haven’t done them since 2006 due to my wings being so massive, I don’t need to do them lol. Great exercise if you don’t have a knackered back. Bench press is over rated in my opinion but is a nice exercise aye Ad, how much you benching now?

For sure, and its key to remember everyone is different. However deadlifts are phenomenal when it comes to building a barn door back. Check my profile for best lifts ;). Do you do cardio all year round? We know your condition is sick in the off-season.

Cardio, I use to call myself the ‘Captin Cardio Man’ – honestly I did in 2006.
I did so much cardio and I lost so much fat that my feet looked peeled to the bone. My bro couldn’t look at them as he said they looked painful!! I used to be out of breath during my mental quad workouts.
Now we are going back before I ever showed. However, now I have noticed that when I started doing cardio for contest prep, that I was for sure getting a lot fitter and I was not out of breath as much during my workouts, hence I have continued to do cardio all year round for general fitness and I find that it helps me to clear my mind.

That’s a great point that bettering your aerobic endurance has allowed you to make better gains anaerobically. Maybe the conditioning on your feet is what has got you so far on stage ;). Whilst training throughout your career, have you faced any injuries? If so what and how did you cope in order to keep moving forward?

I have hurt my neck, had sore elbows, sore knees I mean really sore knees, but nothing like the pain I felt when I did my lower back in, I didn’t just do it in once, three painful times in just one year. I paid the price for training too hard whilst I had very little body fat. As for coping, I didn’t cope! How could I when every time I moved I had this stabbing and shooting pain across my back, leaving me panting for breath. I was hoping and praying that it wouldn’t come back, but it normally came in threes. Anyway, I don’t wanna talk about it!! ;)

Back injuries can be one of the worst things to work around, sometimes impossible. What advice would you give for people reading to avoid injury?

Train smart, e.g. in good form. Take care in all that you do in the gym, weight training is not like dominoes, always warm up a little first and don’t jump into your max heavy set without warming up, always use mirrors for a guide, e.g. coordination.

Great advice, don’t ever sacrifice good form for weight. Do you use any kind of supports in the gym, if so why?

Sure, I put my belt on to support my lower back, wrist straps are also great for shrugs e.t.c.

Ok, tell us about it. Do you feel they cause more problems than good?

Belt no, straps no, but knee wraps yes. I would definitely avoid these, and it can be kind of painful if you have them too tight. Remember, if you are going balls to the wall on a set of squats, the last thing you want is to have to try and get these things off.

Overall I know you approach training with a basic outlook. Its just hard work and graft you generally put it all down to. However, what is your approach to your diet? Run us through what you eat at various times of the year and why?

I used to be obsessed with the word protein; it would almost take over my mind. I don’t count how many grams of protein I have a day anymore, due to doing it for about 18 years. I do know how many carbohydrates I put in each day during a contest diet as for when i'm not dieting for a show, I don’t count them, I don’t have a journal and don’t write down what I am eating every day nor do I count the calories. I have succeeded with this approach and will continue to do so.
I didn’t really know about the word healthy, clean and good fats up until 2006.
Good fats - udos oils, this comes top of the list for this category. It gives good energy and is great for all year round.
Healthy fats – Steak, eggs and almonds, all great!

I don’t have a cheat meal when I have my head on. For example yesterday I was snowed in, I went for an hour’s cardio in the snow, and it was really nice actually, when I returned I had steak, eggs and some ready brek, with a little bit of jam for the sugars. As the day went on my mind started to wonder, I walked to the Co-op and coco pops and full fat milk was calling out to me! Job done, I nailed the full box of coco pops and four pints of full fat milk. That was my cheat meal for yesterday. Not had one today but now you have got me thinking………

Ok, so by counting your protein in the beginning it has now become second nature. Do you count calories? If so, why?

Can’t be arsed!

Can’t argue with that ;). Do you tailor your diet according to your metabolism and body and how do you this?

I watch the scales every day when dieting; this is how i’m able to monitor things. If I have lost too much weight then I simply up my carbs and lower the cardio e.t.c.

A nice and basic approach to monitoring your progress then, and it obviously works. Do you feel people out there looking to accelerate their progress can benefit from a tailor made plan by the likes of yourself and other experts here on KagedMuscle? If so, why?

Sure, why not? My approach is nothing fancy and it works for me and i’m sure it will work for you …..

When it comes to supplements what do you swear by and feel should be on anybody’s hit list?

My choice of supplements is ‘Reflex’ and has been for a few years now. All one can do is to try different products and see what you find works best for you. Protein and creatine are a start…….

Fair enough. These two are fundamentals for any bodybuilder. Why do you say this?

Protein is essential for growth and recovery. Have three shakes a day, in between your meals, this works best for most.

Creatine – everyone who is into bodybuilding is sure to have heard of this product, great for strength, performance and muscle fullness, take before and after you train.

For sure! Ok that is your training and nutrition advice pretty much covered. Let’s move on to competing. As we know your record is prolific, just remind everyone exactly what you have achieved.

Can’t remember them all, I have so many statues and cups, Yorkshire titles, British, World, am not one to boast about my achievements really.

Modesty at its best ;). Just incase anyone was wondering, Mezza IS one of the best naturals in the world! For anybody who wants to compete in the future lets hear your advice for them. What does it take to do well, to be the best?

I would say you need to out a few years of solid training behind you, go to a show, have a look at the standard. I think you will be surprised how good the natural bodybuilding scene has grown here in the UK.
Be realistic, don’t think that you’re the biggest, meanest kid on the block, if you are then perhaps join ‘UFC’. Remember in bodybuilding, the gym is only part of the process, in order to build your ultimate body, your diet will determine how you look, and you will also have to incorporate cardio. I was 110% committed to bodybuilding, for many years it has paid off. You will have to be very committed to the lifestyle of bodybuilding, it can almost become your life, but don’t let it, remember there are other things in life too that you need in order to succeed. Like a job or career, bodybuilding is a hobby, don’t think that you are going to be the next MR. O and spend all of your hard earned money of supplements, be smart, make sure you take them but don’t go crazy on them.
As for thinking your going to be the best, even the best in the world can be beaten.

Yes I agree and it’s important to get the balance. For sure eat well, take good supplements but at the same time don’t sacrifice your livelihood unless you’re the next Dorian Yates. From your point of view, where do you see natural bodybuilding going and where would you like to see it go?

To be honest, it isn’t any different than it was five years ago, will it be any different in the next five years??? The standard is higher, and there are slightly more competitors. The shows can be boring and are very long days. I would say to all the competitors that come on a live stage, don’t hide away, give it some, the crowd will love this and try to be more entertaining during you posing routine. You will be remembered for this for a long time. Competitive natural bodybuilding is very small in terms of popularity. Let’s says at the very most there has been around 100 competitors at any one show here in the UK, will the amount increase in the next few years?? Who knows? Perhaps if there were nice prizes on offer other than the title, a statue and a twenty pound tub of flavoured powder. Don’t get me wrong, the statue is great but after a few it’s just the same.
Maybe we are just getting older but there isn’t much of an incentive to put in 6 months of the year doing tones of cardio, lots of the same diet food and have lots of stress e.t.c.
To get back on stage and win a statue, a title and if you’re in the right show then a pro card.
I don’t have one, it was never one of my goals, really have I missed out? As I have done so many shows here in the UK, had lots of magazine coverage due to this and met so many good people and I don’t have any regrets. Will it improve my life in any way? No, but for sure I guess it would be the next step for me, but I am quite complete, it would be nice to get on stage again to see if I had made any improvements to give the crowd what they want, to feel the adrenaline pump through my veins, to smell the dream tan on my skin, to look at my body in all most disbelief and to shake my right thigh that one last time…………………

Of course, I know you want to make a big impact and up the stakes for elite natural athletes. What do you think this will take?

Well I can’t do it all alone. I have looked into it all, the costing e.t.c. and yes it is doable, but there is something that I need to get going before this venture….. Until then; 0)

Well KagedMuscle is happy to support you as much as we possibly can. Who do you see as some of the best in the natural bodybuilding world, who can help do a lot for the sport?

Jeff Willet, he is very good, there are quite a few over in the states but I cant remember their names, in the UK, Brandon Greenwood, is very good, so is Rob Hope, incredible back and arms, Jon Harries has a very good shape, balance, lines and more. The list goes in but these men have all been WNBF world champions so that says it all. Of course, KagedMuscle’s very own Kris Gethin is among the best in the world and a real inspiration for all to see!

For sure, these are very good athletes and of course KagedMuscle is proud of what Kris has and is achieving. Are there any good youngsters you see having a bright future coming on the scene?

I didn’t go to any shows last year due to having my little boy on Sundays and I am working all day in my supplement shop so I couldn’t really say…..

Tell all the kagedmuscle fans out there how you will be involved with us and how it will benefit them.

 2010 will be a great year and I am very excited to be on board with KagedMuscle, it’s the place to be for top-notch advice. Add to this Ad!

OK! Well at KagedMuscle we are blessed with a host of top names and experts who all of our fans have access to. The content will be off the chain, following the nitty gritty of the bodybuilding world. KagedMuscle is somewhere you can find absolutely anything out to do with bodybuilding, get your supplements at great prices, win prizes and enjoy training videos, articles and interviews. KagedMuscle will also have monthly features, which will include covering ‘local’ bodybuilders who you haven’t heard about who we think, have something special. It’s now official; KagedMuscle is back and WELCOME to everyone!