So many people have been emailing and phoning me asking what my next move is – what am I preparing for next . There comes a time when one must step back and assess where you are , and tweak your goals and rediscover that passion that got you to where you are in the first place .

I have taken this time off to get that “ drive ” back again . The motivation put into 120 % in everything I do . I have been competing since 2004 when I was 14 years old and haven ’ t taken a single year off . After coming back from my Mauritius trip last year my body was drained . We decided to do the Battle of Titans . In the back of my mind I wasn ’ t really happy about it , but pushed through until the end because once I have set my mind on something , I finish it .

While warming up back stage I had a chat with Andrew Hudson and he told me exactly what I needed to hear . He told me that I need to take a year off from all fat burners and cardio and just add some good old-school mass . And that ’ s exactly what I am doing now . I ’ m not so strict on counting calories at the moment . I make sure that my protein intake is around 280g daily split up into 5-6 meals and I only eat when I am hungry . I do not force feed myself like I did in the past because I do not like that tired feeling you get when you stuff yourself with loads of carbs every 2-3 hours .

Something new that I have tried in my off season is adding good fats to my eating programme . I use a lot of coconut oil when preparing my food and

“ Having a good training partner by your side every day makes a huge difference .”

I ’ ve added red meat as well and it is working pretty well . I am sitting at 120kg at the moment and not really sure what my body fat is . I have still got my abs but I do carry a lot of water . So much so that no one recognised me at the Rossi Classic when I went up to go support . I really want to push my weight up to about 130kg and then start dropping body fat slowly .

When I step on stage again I have to feel happy about the progress I made , and then I ’ ll be competing for myself and for no other reason , and the hunger is slowly coming back . One show I cannot miss out on is the Arnold Classic in SA in 2016 !

There are many days where I wake up and I feel like crap and I don ’ t feel like training but then I drag myself to the gym because I have Roy waiting for me . Having a good training partner by your side every day makes a huge difference . This last month he cancelled three sessions because he had the flu . I promise you , I walked into the gym and walked out again because I am not going to waste my time giving 80 % where training with him every session is 120 %. There ’ s no ways I am going to squat 280kg without him or with a random person standing behind me .

Another reason I took off is because I felt I needed to put more time into my athletes ’ prep . I love watching how they improve from show to show , dominating each division they enter . I am truly proud of all of you guys ! Team Bessinger ! They don ’ t realise how much they motivate me .

CHRIS FITZPATRICK

PREP TO WIN , NOT FAIL

So the 2014 SA Champs are something of the past . Well done to all the phenomenal athletes who took part again this year . Wow , bodybuilding in South Africa is progressing . World Champs are ahead and in the sights of a lot of guys .

There is something about that “ final week ” that makes dieting bodybuilders lose their usual logical minds , and start doing some seriously risky things or falling into the trap of “ changing things ” at the last minute with the hope of sharpening up to be contest ready . How often do we look back at contest pictures and say “ but I was better a week before in the gym ” or a few days later because we have gone back to doing the same things we did before the stage craze affected our logic ?

Diuretics and excessive dehydration are real causes for concern as they put your health at risk . Once your kidneys are damaged there is no miracle drug or process to repair such a delicate human organ . Be sensible guys , taking loads of diuretics is not the solution to stepping on stage with the illusion of being in condition . Just diet hard and get rid of the body fat ! Unfortunately if you aren ’ t in 100 % condition , a degree of moderate dehydration is the fail-safe so that you can “ dehydrate ” the volume out of the remaining stubborn fat cells – moderate water restriction is acceptable , but not drinking fluids for days is a recipe for disaster – please be careful !

Be sensible and maintain a level of moderation in what you do . If you need to make a weight division , don ’ t stop drinking fluids , your kidneys require consistent fluid intake to continue processing your system – stop drinking , and your body stops processing water ! Simple science and fact … only excessive diuretics will allow you to continue forcing fluid out , at major risk once again .

Many athletes also go mad in the final few days throwing sugars and carbs into their bodies , to try and “ fill up ” and volumise the muscle – I stepped on stage at 96 / 97kg in the heavyweight category , full muscle bellies , nice and volumised … and I probably had no more than 300-400g of carbs on the Wednesday before the pre-judging on Friday , and approximately 200-300g on the day of pre-judging . Did I look flat ?? No . Why ? Because I kept hydrated ! The muscle is 70 % -80 % fluid , so dehydrating is the real issue that athletes have when they look “ flat ” on stage .

Keep your food sources the same as what you were eating up to the show – if you dieted using brown or basmati rice , oats , sweet potato etc . then keep using these sources as your “ carbing up ” sources as well . Your body is a sensitive organism and cannot tolerate major changes in food sources , otherwise you ’ re going to end up with stomach cramps and major stomach bloating on show day .

One final word of advice , going into the final week before the comp , rest is more important than training and cardio . Your body is in an elevated cortisol state a result of weeks of high intensity training , excessive cardio , and reduced calories – unless you are able to get adequate rest to allow for recovery and reduce your cortisol levels ( stress hormone ), you will not be able to showcase your best physique on the day . Try and get to your contest destination a day or two earlier than necessary to get as much rest and sleep as possible , and eliminate any unnecessary stressful situations . Congratulations to all the division winners and in particular to the Overall Champ for 2014 , Shanti Mitchell . Well done bro , you have amazing potential and I cannot wait to see you grow that aesthetic physique of yours over the next few seasons ! Respect .

Train hard , every rep counts .

126 Muscle Evolution

Muscle Evolution Muscle_Evolution_-_December_2014 | Page 128

So many people have been emailing and phoning me asking what my next move is – what am I preparing for next . There comes a time when one must step back and assess where you are , and tweak your goals and rediscover that passion that got you to where you are in the first place .

So the 2014 SA Champs are something of the past . Well done to all the phenomenal athletes who took part again this year . Wow , bodybuilding in South Africa is progressing . World Champs are ahead and in the sights of a lot of guys .