THE GENTLE GIANT IN OUR BACKYARD.
The 2015 Europa Games and Get Fit Sports Expo was held August 28 & 29, 2015 at Atlantic City’s Convention Center.
The show included competitions in professional and amateur body building and power lifting, plus an expo with dozens of vendors who cater to the sport and its followers.
As I perused the vendor booths through the cavernous hall, I sampled protein rich drinks and nutrition bars, and checked out two companies who are based in nearby South Jersey towns.
An obstacle course was set-up for all takers, with the winner going home with a check for $10,000.
One of our local residents, Ian McLeod, took first place in the Men’s Open Body Building, Super Heavyweight Class.
Wearing a purple bikini bottom and the glow from a sprayed-on tan, this 6’2″, 300 pound champion, who currently resides in Ventnor Heights, NJ, is one of the tallest competitors in the sport, where most men are 5’8″.
Originally from Mays Landing, NJ, Ian is a soft-spoken and articulate athlete with a degree in Nutritional Science from Rutgers University.
He squashes any pre-conceived notion of being a meat-head or dumb jock might be.
Sitting in the lobby of the Convention Center, with his winning trophy that is heavy enough for him to do bicep curls, we discuss his training regimen and nutrition, as well as the pre-contest diet where his hydration and caloric intake is reduced.
This technique cuts his usual six meals a day in half and whittles him down to 265 pounds with a mere 3% body fat, the lowest any male can go, as he takes the stage.
PRE-CONTEST TRAINING REGIMEN OF IAN MCLEOD
For 12-16 weeks prior to contest
- Exercise:
45 minutes of cardio before breakfast (Stairmaster or Elliptical machine)
90 minutes of weight training - Nutrition: Six meals per day, every two to three hours
Meal #1: Egg whites, steel-cut oatmeal, blueberries
Meal #2: Low fat Fish (cod, flounder, white fish), jasmine rice
Meal #3: Pasteurized egg white drink with unsweetened almond milk for flavor, sweet potatoes
No carbohydrates for last three meals
Meal #4: Chicken breast, half avocado
Meal #5: Cod, chopped raw beet with apple cider vinegar
Meal #6 (before bed): chicken or fish, half avocado