My Photoshoot Experience

The process of getting into the best shape of my life.

This year I've gone well out of my comfort zone by doing a marathon and being pushed professionally by stepping in for my boss.

My decision-making criteria when presented with opportunities like this have shifted. I'm now asking myself the following questions:

In 5 years, will I look back and be glad I did it?
Is this a new experience I can learn from?
Will I grow as a person?
Does it scare me?

The second question is important because I'm accepting the possibility of it not working out the way I hope. Failure, or some sort of it, is part of the process.

I felt scared at the prospect of running my first training half marathon. I got that feeling of dread in my stomach. It soon passed, it always does.

When I got the chance to do a photoshoot, I knew I had to take it. No matter how nerve-racking it seemed.

Starting Point

Officially, prep started 12 weeks before.

I was 3 weeks out from the marathon at this point.

What one would I prioritise? I wanted to be at my top running levels but also wished to be starting the fat loss phase for the shoot.

This was the hardest phase of the full thing.

Going from trying to replenish energy from long runs to lowering my calories seemed at odds with what I was trying to achieve.

Rather than dig my feet in and complain, I trusted the process.

Transitioning from the feed mentality to fat loss took about 2 weeks before I started to feel normal.

Looking positively at the situation, a little less fat would help with getting my sub-4-hour marathon.

Nutrition And Training

With the marathon completed, my focus was now fully on the photoshoot.

My calories were dropped to roughly 2200 with a protein target of 170-180g.

I didn't eat much different compared to before I started the fat loss phase. I find it easier to keep as many variables the same when going between fat loss, muscle-building and performance.

Adjusting foods like rice, pasta and oats allow you to create a calorie deficit. You can still enjoy what you usually eat. Completely changing your diet doesn't have to be the case. Finding a diet you can make tweaks to as and when needed will be more sustainable.

I still enjoyed the same foods throughout the process. I ate out a couple of times and made smart choices when doing so e.g. high protein option, minimal sauces etc.

In the final 3 weeks, I dropped my calories further to 2000. To keep me full and not hungry I was making sure I was eating plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Training wise I did the following:

4 gym sessions - Upper/lower split
3 conditioning workouts (2 after workouts, 1 on its own)

My daily non-negotiable habits included 15,000 steps (sometimes aided with 1 run a week) and 3-4 litres of water. Finally, getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Like nutrition, sleep and water are constant whether it's fat loss, muscle-building or performance.

Peak Week

7 days out from the event was when we pulled the trigger on the physique.

Calories went lower again and macro targets were laid out for each day in preparation. We were given a skincare routine as well so were silky smooth for the photos.

The first 3 days were down at roughly 1600 calories with only 154g of carbs.

My tactic here was to use my carbs around training, which was in the morning. Then, have some more in the evening with dinner in preparation for training the following morning. Lunches had lots of veggies to keep me satiated throughout the afternoon.

I found myself getting quite hungry. I was also drinking 5-6 litres of water per day - numerous trips to the gents were made.

As the week went on, we gradually increased carbs and calories up to maintenance. The goal was to keep us lean initially but respond to the carbs later in the week. This meant our muscles would look full - especially with a pump.

When training during this week, I wasn't pushing big numbers. The goal was to get a pump with each session. No exercise was taking to failure. Recovery was important.

The day before the shoot, I went for my first ever spray tan.

Honestly, it was a funny experience. I didn't know what to expect. As long as I didn't come out like Ross from Friends I would be happy.

What I hoped NOT to look like

The woman was really helpful, taking me through the process. I was in and out after only 15 minutes.

I now smelled like biscuits.

The Photoshoot

After weeks of anticipation, the day had arrived.

In the morning I had a protein yoghurt and a small amount of peanut butter. We all had carby snacks like Tangfastics and rice cakes for during the shoot so that when we warmed up we would react to the carbs.

Meeting everyone in the morning was a buzz. There was an air of excitement. We had all supported one another on the journey. We were at the destination.

Walking into the studio, I felt excited. It was bright and spacious. Tony, the photographer, made us feel welcome and gave us a rundown of the plan.

Bags down and tops off. It was the moment to show off the hard work we'd put in over the last few months. Everyone was in the shape of their life.

We hit a light warm-up to get the blood flowing before getting straight into it.

There's a lot more to it than I thought. Posing and tensing as hard as you can while the pictures get taken is hard. I thought I was going to let out a huge fart at one point.

I've got to give a shoutout to Coach Eilz for the brownies she made us for after - they were amazing.

The brownie of a brownies

Lessons Learned

Community and accountability are key.

Without either of those, I wouldn't have been able to get to the condition I did. Seeing everyone show up despite the challenges of their own lives motivated me to be on their level.

Don't eat 2 bags of sweets during the shoot - I was beginning to feel bloated towards the end.

My girlfriend, Aimee, was a rock for me throughout the process. She kept me strong when times got tough. Lean on others when you need to.