James Campion

Physique update:

Downsized a little bit, but enjoying the feeling of being lighter.

Every 6-12 months I like to do a mini cut to reset, remove any unnecessary body fat, and improve insulin sensitivity and gut health.

It also sets me up for a longer “bulking phase”. I say “bulking”, but that’s the bro term for “improvement phase”, aka I can push the calories up and focus on improving strength and recover from weights and cardio session when I push them hard. This is how you make improvements year on year.

Bulking doesn’t mean you need to get fat, it just means calories are slightly above maintenance and can be purely aimed to restore and recover.

Bulk responsibly and do your mini cuts.. Life is a permanent bulk, you need to manage your weight and not slowly gaining more and more body fat over the years.

The final time I get on stage as a bodybuilder?

This probably was… I love bodybuilding and will continue to do it forever, whether the stage is involved, who knows…

If you want to be on stage you have to give 100% to the sport to show your best, anything less and there’s really no point.

I’ve always got huge respect for my friends that compete, many cannot handle the preparation for being on stage, in true stage condition.

I’ve also learned huge lessons from competing in bodybuilding, things that I continue to implement for myself and clients.

Never say never, would happily go back on stage if the time is right 💪

A reminder to everyone going through a transformation of yourself: body, mind, career, personal life.

Remember the night is darkest just before the dawn, if you’re struggling, fatigued or second guessing yourself…carry on! This is where everyone falls off, and this is why you will succeed.

Whatever you’re dealing with, stay to course, remind yourself of the goal, embrace the suck / boredom, it will all be worth it!

You should not lose muscle in a cut.

Your training plan should be based around compound lifts, perfect form, and adequate amounts of weight for each exercise. You don’t need to train to failure every set but learning how to take a muscle to failure is so valuable.

Eating enough protein is a none negotiable. Spreading protein out is helpful, but it’s the end of day number that matters the most. Aim for high quality sources of protein in your daily intake from sources such as meat, eggs, whey and dairy.

Recovery is the how we build! The training is the stimulus and the nutrition is the first primary rebuild. Sleep is where the whole body reduces fatigue and allows you to improve energy, strength and reduce soreness. You can do as many supplements, ice baths and meditation sessions that you like, if your sleep is not improving, we’re never going to see the best results.

If you’re abiding by these principles, you’ll have confidence to know when you lose weight, it is fat, water and inflammation, NOT muscle 💪

2 week progress on the cut.
4 weeks in 9kg down. Some say it’s to quick to lose weight that fast, but I am impatient.

Getting lean is like robbing a bank - get in and out as fast as possible. Then return to maintenance.

Getting in shape only gets easier, to the point where staying in shape just becomes the norm.

“If you diet aggressively you’re just going to gain it all back”

I’ve heard this so many times, and the likeliness that you will gain it all back is extremely high… there are studies to prove it. Here’s what people get terribly wrong that causes them to bounce back and regain all the weight they lost.

- No one taught them about nutrition, adequate rate of loss, maintaining performance
- No one told them what to expect during a cutting phase or how to exit a diet phase
- No one was there to guide them during a maintenance calorie phase and switch gears from ‘weight loss’ to ‘’maintain’. (This is also harder to get motivated for).
- No one told them that the habits they built to get fat off, need to remain in place forever… maybe not to that level but largely the same.
- They listened to everyone around them that losing weight is unhealthy, unsustainable and unrealistic…

In my 20’s I also used to rebound out of a diet for all the reasons above… I had no one to guide me each step of the way, it was just trial and error. Now, I understand how to navigate life and stay in shape; even when eating 4000-5000kcals per day, I’ve understood how this process works.

You absolutely can get into the best shape of your life no matter what age you are, and you absolutely can keep it off. You just need the knowledge and the guidance to show you that it is possible.

Ps - take note of the people that are negative towards fat loss goals, they’re generally not in shape themselves 🤷‍♂️

10 years of Toby ❤️❤️❤️

Always a work in progress.

If you think you can get in shape and improve your health in 1 year and then never have to adhere to this again, think again.

Accept that if you want a strong, lean and healthy body, its daily habits, its daily challenge, its new goals, over multiple years….

This is for life!

It doesn’t matter what age you start or what your limitations are, making conscious effort to improve your body on a daily basis will ensure you see exceptional results, and results you’ll be proud of.

Good things don’t come easy, but they’re worth it!

Make training a priority, if you have to wake up an hour earlier, do it. Don’t let your inner voice convince you to avoid it.

And please, don’t listen to your friends and family on their opinion of YOUR fitness goals. You are in control of your life and what you do, so block out the noise and go get it done. Those friends/family will soon be asking for advice on how you did it… 😂