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Our Amateur Bodybuilder of the Week was...
Rob Lloyd
How Did You Get Started?
I was always good at sports and always wanted to be strong and muscular. I
took an interest in training to improve my sports at high school then, after
moving to a larger house in a different area, I built myself a fully
equipped home gym and started reading through bodybuilding books/magazines
to start educating myself. I took up weight lifting and developed a good training program and after a
few months I was asked if I was interested in competing in the local show a
few weeks after I first ventured into a gym. I had just turned 14 at the
time. I agreed to compete and was introduced to the competition organizer, who
then became my mentor and a great friend, and he helped me to prepare for
the four weeks before the competition. He helped fine-tune my diet and
training to my needs as well as went over my posing with me, which I was
already pretty accomplished at. I entered the show and won the teen division
and placed third in the juniors (21 and under) class. Following the competition I went back to training and was asked to compete
again. I placed 3rd in the regional finals for my category. After this it
was in my blood and I decided to take up bodybuilding seriously. I obtained
as much knowledge as possible and entered many shows learning from each of
them. In 2002, when I was 17, I was training/preparing for the regional
championships (Mr. North West) and I was also helping my then training
partner Paul Preston with his preparation. Helping him with his diet, posing
and training. We promised each other that we'd win that show and become
first and second in that years national championship, the Teenage Mr.
Britain, and then we'd be stood onstage together at Mr. Universe one day! The
week before the show I was shocked to find out that he'd passed away but
remembered my promises to him and then set out to win as much as I could in
his name. I went to the North West championships and won the show easily.
That year I competed in and won all the following events at teen level: Past Competitions: Since then I had a year off to improve and then took to the stage again to
complete the second part of my promise to Paul. I competed successfully
that year and made it to Mr. Universe with my first attempt. Not only did I
manage to compete in the show but I also placed in the top 6 where the
announcer announced that I was dedicating my trophy to him (Paul). That made it
feel like he was on stage too and completed my promise, making it feel like
a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Since then I have carried
on becoming a multi-national champion. My recent successes have been: Most Recent Competition Results: What Workout Plan Worked Best For You?
I personally like to perodize my workouts into different phases to ensure
consistent growth and keep the muscle shocked. I did not train heavy at
first due to starting at a young age and I am now experimenting with heavier
weights more to increase my density. My favorite type of programs are a
few weeks of German volume type routines, pyramiding and my main stay is my
own version of Dorian Yates's style HIT workouts where I usually do a warm-up set, followed by a straight set to failure. The final set is all out
taken to failure on the eighth rep followed by two forced reps to push past
failure and into the muscle building zone, around 6-10 concentrated 'burns'
as some studies have shown these to encourage hyperplasia as well as
hypertrophy and they are also a favorite of Larry Scott. I finish up with
two negatives to completely exhaust the muscle and to strengthen the
connective tissue. I usually train Monday-Friday with one bodypart per day
on this type of regime. But when dieting I will include some less intense
principles and add a good 30 minute session of cardio into my program first
thing in the morning and maybe do a bit more volume training to burn more
calories. What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?
I like to eat many small-medium meals throughout the day. I try to keep to
a high protein, high carb, and medium fat diet and bring down my carbs and
change my fats to purely EFA's when preparing for a competition. I also
eliminate all junk foods when I am dieting. I like to eat more solid, whole
foods and use my shakes in between my solid food meals and after training. My whole foods consist mainly of eggs, lean beef, chicken, turkey and
occasionally tuna for my protein. My carbohydrates are mainly potatoes,
sweet potatoes, rice, oats, breakfast cereals, fruits and vegetables. I
also like to try and drink about 1 pint of water between meals to keep my
water level steady and high. What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains?
Firstly I believe my greatest gains have come from consistently improving
my diet and training programs and listening to my body to find what works
for me. Secondly, I have great gains from many supplements but in different
ways. For instance for increasing muscle a whey protein and maltodextrin
mix offers me the most benefit but when dieting my best improvements come
from strategic use of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromium Picolinate and EFA's.
Finally for muscle fullness and volume you can't beat nitric oxide
supplements and Ethylated Creatine! Why do you love Bodybuilding?
I love bodybuilding for the challenge and because of how personal it is.
It is personal because it is all about YOU! Not how far you can throw or
kick something but you simply rely on yourself. I have suffered from very
low self-esteem in the past and when you are voted a national champion based
purely on how you appear it's hard to feel bad about yourself! I have also
made a lot of great friends through bodybuilding and this in itself is a
great thing. I love the need to constantly improve and the competition with myself that
this sport brings. I also love the artistry and ability to be sculpting
yourself into your own ideal image/work of art and that you have this with
you wherever you go, all the time. It makes me feel better, look better and
improve my health as well as being more useful through having more strength,
fitness and flexibility. What Are Your Future Bodybuilding Plans? I plan to win more national and international shows and to improve much further for the future so I can have the possibility of obtaining my Pro Card. I want a top 2 spot in the Mr. Universe this year and then I want to be able to promote bodybuilding much further and make it more popular and to also inspire and help others through my own achievements. What One Tip Would You Give Other Bodybuilders? To believe in yourself and that you can achieve 'the impossible' through dedication and persistency. I was told I'd never win a local show and I'll always be to 'skinny'. Look at me now! Who Are Your Favorite Bodybuilders? I respect all other bodybuilders because we all work so hard and I know what we all go through. However, some of my favorites are Dorian Yates and Mike Mentzer for their attitude, intelligence and their training intensity. Arnold for the same reasons that everybody loves him - his career, progression, charisma and making the sport more widely recognizable. I also love the classic physiques and shapes of Frank Zane and Flex Wheeler.
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