Athlete of the Month Part 2. All in a Days Prep

Athlete of the Month Part 2. All in Days prep.

I trust, like I was, you were all inspired by Part 1 of Jimmy’s philosophy on life and fitness. I am taking you down a different turn, however, with Part 2. In Part 2, we are going to focus on his 20 week prep for IL State that he did with Coach Steve. This is your rare opportunity to get an in-depth look at what prep really consists of: the ups the downs, the injuries, the setbacks and the eventual triumphs.

When I sat down with Jimmy for this interview, my first question was: “Why would an accomplished athlete and personal trainer need someone to prep them for a show?” Firstly, I was reminded that why is the wrong question.  Then, Jimmy stated that, being an athlete all his life, he has learned that you never disappoint the coach. Jimmy knows himself and that he needs someone to help keep him focused and hold him accountable. Remember friends, this is an accomplished personal trainer saying that he needs help with focus and accountability. Jimmy chose Steve as his coach because he needed two things: 1) a coach who was a natural bodybuilder and 2) a coach who could back up his approach. Coach Steve was and is that coach. Trust me, if you don’t think Coach Steve backs up everything he says then you need a checkup from the neck up, or just hop on feelfitastic.com and see for yourself.

The first hurdle to overcome during Jimmy’s prep was to remove from his mind what he felt needed to be done and fill it with the words of Coach Steve instead. Trust me for any trainer this is not an easy task. For example, Coach Steve believes in nutrient timing – or the right nutrients at the right time for your body. Jimmy followed the blood type diet approach and didn’t really regard nutrient timing as something important. That quickly changed for him. To get over this mindset, all Jimmy had to do was look at Coach Steve and see that he did exactly what he was instructing Jimmy to do, regardless of what season it was. Jimmy saw the proof in Coach Steve and with that Jimmy threw his hands in the air and did what Coach Steve said, word for word. After all, Jimmy being the respectable athlete that he is knows that you never disappoint the Coach.

Jimmy’s whole mindset began to change from what he thought he knew. He learned that like a car his body is only as good as the gas that he puts in it. That food is fuel, not entertainment or a means to fill a void. There were no “epic cheat meals” or binge eating. Jimmy just made minor changes to bad food. This was not all sunshine and roses of course. No one just wakes up and changes their lifestyle in a day. There was still one more hurdle that Jimmy had to overcome and that was caffeine and the lack there of. This was a daily struggle that I am sure every coffee drinker out there can understand.

Jimmy had physical setbacks as well, including a quad tear that forced him and Coach Steve to modify leg training. There was also a hernia that forced Jimmy to wear a weight belt and modify specific exercises. Though, regardless of the injury, Jimmy was not going to be deterred.

Mentally, Jimmy had to face something that many competitors and those living healthy lifestyles have to face: The general public. The general public’s life is situated around food, eating out, drinking and no time for exercise. Jimmy had to avoid these vices by not being nearly as social as he used to be, having to say no a lot more then he said yes. Jimmy began to surround himself with good people who understood what he was doing. As a result, he was no longer in an environment of negativity. Jimmy also realized that he had to become comfortable with the idea of being different.

Being different for Jimmy also meant avoiding many of the unsafe practices that some competitors are willing to put their bodies through: crash dieting, starvation, dehydration, over-the-counter stimulants, etc.  None of which Coach Steve would dare allow. Instead the focus was on slimming down body fat over time while maintaining lean muscle tissue.

It was through this combination of methods used that Jimmy walked away from IL State 1^st in his class, once again proving that the reward is always worth the risk. You always run the risk of making an ass of yourself on stage but when you stick to the plan, stay disciplined and listen to your coach your rewards will always outweigh the risk.

5 Weeks Post Show

Catching up with Jimmy 5 weeks after IL State you can see from these pictures that he also is avoiding the

5 Weeks Post Show

traditional binge eating that most competitors do right after a competition. Binge eating often leads to bloating and losing all gains made during prep. Jimmy has maintained his conditioning, proving that this is not just a hobby for him.  There is no off season for Jimmy because this is a lifestyle. Clearly, he is not one to shy away from being different, which makes him stand out even more then he already does.

Jimmy, once again, congratulations on all your success and being named our June Athlete of the Month. As always please leave your questions and comments on Face Book.

Friends be sure to follow Jimmy and BenchMark Fit Club on Face Book and Instagram @benchmarkfitclub    ~Wild Will Wilson