London’s James Hollingshead is entering the home stretch of the 2022 Arnold Classic UK this weekend, scheduled for 23-25 September 2022 in Birmingham, England. ‘The LDN Bodybuilder’ recently completed one last grueling leg workout and gave his burgeoning YouTube subscriber base insightful commentary before taking the stage .
The 33-year-old hopes to add the 2022 Arnold Classic UK title to his existing accomplishments, which include UKBFF Junior British Championship, UKBFF Heavyweight Championship and European Pro Bodybuilding Contest honours. . Now honing his physique for the IFBB spotlight, Hollingshead is doing whatever it takes. Check out his physique update and final leg workout in the video above.
[Related: Samir Bannout Says Derek Lunsford Can Crack the Top 5 at the 2022 Mr. Olympia]
Bulk as much as possible
For many bodybuilders, when their focus is on shedding body fat and sharpening muscle contours, they stop bulking up a few weeks before competition day to give them time to shed pounds. Ringsheads like to keep the weight on for as long as possible to keep adding solid muscle.
“A few days ago we had a re-feeding day,” he says. “I’ve been the heaviest I’ve been for quite some time. I’ve weighed him back up to 280 (lbs). It’s probably three or four days before I can move the extra weight.” [and] Return to baseline. ’” Hollingshead lets you put your weight on the wire because you know it’s comfortable to cut.
“People who know me who follow me know that shedding body fat has little problem,” says the IFBB pro. Successful. “My body loses fat quickly, but at the same time I have big problems maintaining muscle.”
[Related: Brett Wilkin Blasts Chest and Delts with Bodybuilding Coach Joe Bennett]
muscle maintenance
“I’m not trying to be big,” he laughs, a mountain man who believes his body is well-suited for other exercises like skating, running, and swimming. “Strength doesn’t matter. I’ve always been strong, but my strength doesn’t really correlate to size.”
Hollingshead said his critics, including those commenting on YouTube, have wondered why he’s so focused on eating rather than leaning towards the contest. The Londoner says he needs to consume huge amounts of food to maintain and build muscle mass.
“You can get on stage and be shredded to the brink, but if you don’t have some size, you’re not going to be in the top three,” says Hollingshead. “Muscle is the main, first objective in bodybuilding. That’s why [they call it] Because bodybuilding needs to build muscle. Olympia is the perfect show to watch it. Looking at the top five, they are the most muscular guys in the lineup. ”
Prioritize calories over “clean” foods
“I don’t like to eat,” laughs Hollingshead. “I honestly feel like trash when it comes to the evening of the day I can eat (or re-feed), but if I don’t, I’m going to use existing food to add calories and clean the calories. It does nothing.” And how much you have to eat in clean food, like how much rice, how much potato, or something like that, is really stomach-burdening because these foods aren’t calorie-dense. That’s why you should usually use unplanned foods when your goal is to get as many calories as possible in foods that don’t necessarily take up a lot of space.
James Hollingshead leg workout
Hollingshead likes to start her workouts with her hamstrings. This is because he has found that doing exercises can lead to an inability to pay attention to your hamstrings, which can lead to an inability to pay attention to them.
Bodybuilders follow the 5-set rule for this workout, performing 5 sets on their hamstrings, quads, abductors, and calves, then 5 on their biceps for proper pre-contest measurement. Run the set. Combine 5 sets for each part of your body and exercise when you feel like it.
James Hollingshead’s Advice for Aspiring Bodybuilders
“I hope they have a great experience and don’t take it too seriously like I sometimes do,” says Hollingshead. Remember, when you’re around them on these shows, take it in, talk, communicate, have fun, laugh, laugh.It’s brotherhood.Sometimes in these shows, Sometimes I get obsessed with what is expected of me and where I rank [that] You forget that you are all people who have worked incredibly hard to get there. ”
Suppose Hollingshead wins the 2022 Arnold Classic UK. In that case, he says he won’t hold back from future contests in preparation for his challenge to Mr. Olympia, instead choosing to build confidence and keep busy on stage. Hollingshead said getting out of his comfort zone was key to his continued progress, and with such a winning attitude, who could stand in his way?
Featured image: @hollingshead89 on Instagram
