James Llewellin Q&A...

[myprotein.com]

Hi,

As promised in a thread that can be found here we have opened this thread to ask James any questions you may have. Keep them "clean" and nice please guys...

James will get round to answering when he's next online!

Thanks MP

[myprotein.com]

Also we would prefer any questions to be posted on the forums rather than PM'ed to James as the answer could help others and we don't want James to have to reply to 100s of PM's (and I'm sure he doesn't have the time either)!

So any specific Q's please post in this thread. MP.

[kp1512]

A few starting questions

- Length of training and when\how you got your best gains (any changes etc)

- Training protocol - Split, Style (Volume or HIIT etc)

- Diet outline : offseason, any specific supplements that you rate above others?

KP

[Marks1972]

Hi James,

Can i ask what made you decide to switch from Athletics to bodybuilding and how you would compare the 2 sports in terms of training and enjoyment?

[Mesomorph]

OK, some answers to some Q's.

I have been seriously training for about the last 6-7 years but on and off since I was a teenager (late teens in 6th form)

My best gains always come in the 4 weeks after a show when I do what is called a rebound diet where lots of good food and supplementation is taken in after a period of calorific restriction. My body literally blows up and gains of 22lbs have been made in as little as 6 days (mainly water!!!)

I also seem to gain in the dieting phase as my bodyweight tends not to drop a great deal but my bodyfat goes down by around 10%, so therefore lean tissue is gained.

As far as good supplements go, I really rate WMS for PWO nutrition and also glutamine peptides at any time of the day. Normal L-Glutamine is useless if taken with other protein but the glutamine peptides allows you to mix it in with your whey/protein source at meal times or your PWO drink.

Best times to take are first and last thing and pre and post workout.

Creatine Ethyl Ester is also a very good supplement and is a sure fire way to increase mass and strength in a fairly short period of time. Again first thing and pre and post workout are the best times to take this supplement in.

My current diet is split into 2 distinct parts: training days and non training days.

On training days my macros are as follows:-

Carbs 400g
Protein 350g
Fats 75g

All over 7 meals

The diet I am following on these days is below. It may change slightly from day to day but the ratio's are always constant.

6am CEE, 10g glutamine peptides

30 mins cardio (Low impact tread and xtrainer)

Meal 1 8am 100g oats, 70g 'Impact' whey isolate, 10g raisins, 200mgs ALA, 'Total Performance' Multi Vit/Min, 1000mgs Vit C

Pre workout 10am N.O supplement, 'Pulse'

TRAIN 10.30am

Meal 2 11.15am 55g 'Impact' whey isolate, 60g wms, 10g peptide gluamine, 200mgs ALA, 5g CEE

Meal 3 12.30pm 220g chicken, 90g rice, selection of veg.

Meal 4 3.30pm 100g salmon, 125g chicken, 70g rice, selection of veg

Meal 5 6.30pm 220g chicken, 350g white pots (boiled), selection of veg

Meal 6 8.30pm 80g oats, 35g micellar casein, 10g peanut butter, 100g chicken (or 6 egg whites)

Meal 7 10.30pm 80g oats, 70g micellar casein, 20g peanut butter.

This yields around 407 protein, 360 carbs, 75 fats = Approx 3750kcals

With the extra carbs it allows me to retain greater glycogen around my training and with the change in macros on my non training days it should elicit a good metabolic response keeping my bodyfat in check. (Carbs will be 150g lower and fats 75g higher and protein will be 20g lower on non training days, over 6 meals)

Non training days are:-

Protein 330g, Carbs 250g, Fats 150g

All over 6 meals

Meal 1 8am

Meal 2 11am

Meal 3 1.30pm

Meal 4 4.30pm

Meal 5 7pm

Meal 6 10pm


A typical days food on a non-training day would be as follows:-

6am CEE, 10g glutamine peptides

30 mins cardio (Low impact tread and xtrainer)

Meal 1 100g oats, 70g 'Impact' whey isolate, 'Total Performance' Multi Vit/Min,
1000mgs ALA, 1000mgs Vit C,

Meal 2 4 whole eggs, 2 slices of wholemeal toast, 30g of micellar casein (or100g chicken)

Meal 3 250g chicken, 50g basmati rice, selection of veg, 15g virgin olive oil

Meal 4 Same as meal 3

Meal 5 150g chicken, 100g salmon, 50g rice, selection of veg, 10g virgin olive oil

Meal 6 70g oats, 70g micellar casein, 30g peanut butter

So thats it as far as food goes. Once a week I will have a cheat meal normally including chips and steak but no pudding. Cheating for me tends to be on complex carbs, fats and protein. I find sweets just spike my insulin and cause me very quickly to store a lot of fat and water and this phase I am wanting to stay lean. Normal off season would see a few treats of cheesecake etc every week.

Foods may vary but as long as the numbers (macros and calories) add up at the end of the day I am not worried if some meals are more and some are less.

I take my nutrition super seriously and even take my scales to my parents house so I can weigh out my sunday dinner!!!!

As for my training, short and sweet sums it up

Cardio is performed 6x a week (mon-sat) for 30 mins (pre meal 1 at 6.30am) at a HR of 120-125BPM on xtrainer and incline tread (15 mins each)

I feel cardio is essential even during the off season to help metabolise all of that food plus it keeps the endorphins flowing and the BF in check. Its win win all round!!

I am only training chest, legs (concentrating on hams esp) and back (width only) in this phase. Arms are too big and shoulders will get hit with a few sets after back (rears and sides)
Calves get hit every 2 weeks.

My sessions last no longer than 45 mins for the larger bodyparts (back and legs) and 30 mins for chest.

Sets will vary but will consist of a maximum of 10-12 sets for chest, approximately 20 sets for legs (hams and quads) and around 12-15 for back. This includes warm ups. I will do 3-4 exercises for chest, 4-5 for back, 2-3 for quads and 3-4 for hams. Calves (when trained) will be hit by 3 exercises of 3 sets.
Reps vary between 10 and 20 depending on the muscle group. Quads up to 20, chest up to 12 or poss 15, back between 10-15 and calves between 10 and 20.
I am very instinctive with my training and have no set pattern to it. I change the order of exercises each week though and throw in some negative and drop set work every so often.

Hope this helps and gives you an insight into what i am currently doing.

J

[Mesomorph]

Quote

Hi James,

Can i ask what made you decide to switch from Athletics to bodybuilding and how you would compare the 2 sports in terms of training and enjoyment?

Because I stopped growing and became less competitive. At 5'4" tall there isn't an event called the 'Low Jump' LOL

BBing allowed me to be competitive in either a weight or height class so it became much more of a 'level playing field'

Both pursuits need total dedication but I would say that BBing is 24/7 and you can get away with a little more in athletics, perhaps not at the very top but certainly at my level at my young age. I was smoking and drinking whilst competing for my country (kids look away), I certainly couldn't do that at the level I am at now in BBing and if I did I would soon suffer.

I enjoyed both sports although athletics the result is never queeried as its the highest, longest, fastest, strongest etc. BBing is subjective so there will always be those that feel hard done by but that just adds to the excitement. Overall I prefer BBing as a sport.

Hope this answers your Q's


J

[mjwild]

Hi james, welcome to the site. You look amazing, cant beleive u are only 5'4

Quote

My best gains always come in the 4 weeks after a show when I do what is called a rebound diet where lots of good food and supplementation is taken in after a period of calorific restriction. My body literally blows up and gains of 22lbs have been made in as little as 6 days (mainly water!!!)

This caught my eye, i am highly interested in periodization and reboundzation (ye just made that up ) and was wondering if you have at all researched into this, why you think the benefits show them selfs when on this 'rebound diet' as you call it.

Thanks,

[GALTONATOR]

Welcome to the site James after following your journal it is a great pleasure to have you on the site. Well done on being in team MP. Have you tried pulse yet you will really like it

[kp1512]

James

Good to see someone real and involved in the sport take time out to answer on boards and give there insight based on there experience. The norm generally is for those associated with a companies not to do this, which I have never understood...and "time!" or lack off has always seemed to be an excuse in this industry. So hats off to you!

Quote

As far as good supplements go, I really rate WMS for PWO nutrition and also glutamine peptides at any time of the day. Normal L-Glutamine is useless if taken with other protein but the glutamine peptides allows you to mix it in with your whey/protein source at meal times or your PWO drink.

Best times to take are first and last thing and pre and post workout.

Preaching to the converted there..Ive never had any confidence of L Glutamine, maybe aside from its gastric positive effects...very interesting that you take decent amounts of Glut Peptides.

Quote

Meal 1 100g oats, 70g 'Impact' whey isolate, 'Total Performance' Multi Vit/Min,
1000mgs ALA, 1000mgs Vit C,

Any reason why you take 1000mg ALA at this point? I am assuming you dont take any other carbs at this point and any rise in BG would be from Isolate?

Quote

Normal off season would see a few treats of cheesecake etc every week.

Quote

Cardio is performed 6x a week (mon-sat) for 30 mins (pre meal 1 at 6.30am) at a HR of 120-125BPM on xtrainer and incline tread (15 mins each)

Do you find that this has even been restrictive in terms of gains? or the Opposite?

Quote

Sets will vary but will consist of a maximum of 10-12 sets for chest, approximately 20 sets for legs (hams and quads) and around 12-15 for back. This includes warm ups. I will do 3-4 exercises for chest, 4-5 for back, 2-3 for quads and 3-4 for hams. Calves (when trained) will be hit by 3 exercises of 3 sets.
Reps vary between 10 and 20 depending on the muscle group. Quads up to 20, chest up to 12 or poss 15, back between 10-15 and calves between 10 and 20.

What are your thoughts on Yates style HIT training? Just out of interest

KP

[Shicky]

Quote

This caught my eye, i am highly interested in periodization and reboundzation (ye just made that up ) and was wondering if you have at all researched into this, why you think the benefits show them selfs when on this 'rebound diet' as you call it.
Thanks,

Its to do with your leptin reserves isn't it? After a short period of diet (say a week) they can decrease by 50% and therefore slow fatloss significantly. By binging as such once per week, you shoot these levels back up and go into the higher state of BF burning.......thats what i thought but probably wrong

Aside from that, awesome to have you on the boards James, your physique is truly inspiring and wish i had the guts to go at it like you have. My question would be, you're in the smaller category of blokes like myself, do you think this requires some adjustments in terms of weight training compared to those taller than us?