By Gary Chappell
JAMIE HARRISON stormed to the 2Bros Vitae Plant Classic overall title on Saturday – then set his sights on yet more conditioning in a bid to win his IFBB Pro League card.
Harrison brought an impressive package of muscle, shape and conditioning to the stage in Grays, Essex, securing the super heavyweight title, before pipping heavyweight winner Neil Andrews for the overall.
Harrison said: "I feel good. I'm doing the British in two weeks and I wanted to get the confidence of winning this before going into that. And I'm not a hundred per cent yet. I can bring a bit more condition, get a bit tighter overall. In particular in the glutes and lower stomach, that's where I hold most of my body fat."
This was the first "peak" for Harrison working with coach Christopher Chapman and the pair head to the 2Bros British Championships armed with new information on how to present an even sharper package.
But Harrison also revealed one of the secrets behind his drive to the best. He was a Royal Marine Commando for five years from the age of 17. And he believes the discipline learnt through his military training sets him apart.
He said: "I was in the Marines, so nothing's too much work. It helped massively. Everything is built from that. I joined when I was 17 and I was there for five years. Just getting in and through the training really builds you up. And that's why it's good for bodybuilding, because half an hour on a cross-trainer when I've done eight hours yomping up Dartmoor with no sleep? It's different.
"It makes prep more manageable one hundred per cent. And that's why I can do bodybuilding, no doubt."
Just like many bodybuilders, however, it will not stop him overthinking when coming into a show. He said: "You can always tweak things; a little bit more fullness, a little bit more sharpness. But when I look at pictures, I'm like...'I look pretty good actually'. It's just in my own head. When you're in the gym and you're leaning through peak week, you're getting shots in the gym, you get fucking pumped up. And I'm like, 'oh, why can't I just go and stage like that'?
"But when you're peaking for show, it's different. I had pictures two days ago in the gym, I was fucking bursting. I thought, 'I'd love to come in like that'. But I don't think it looks the same on that stage.
"I've got enough muscle to look dense, so I don't think you have to be bursting [full] when you've got muscle. Because for me, I need to see the grain and, if I do get full, I'll lose that. So I need to be a bit flatter.
"But then in the morning I'm like 'I'm fading'. And then when you get your tan on, all the veins go, so in my head I'm worrying. But when you're have the lights, it's different. And then I'm like, 'OK, it's all there'.
"Then you start overthinking, cortisol goes up, then you start holding water. It's a mind fuck. I do overthink it. I panic. I'm panicking because I want to bring my best. I'm thinking, 'if I could go in like I was looking in the gym day the other day I'd be grand'. But it's never like that. The day before I'm like, 'I don't look like it'. But then it just comes together."
For now, it is time to chill – perhaps only for a few hours, before the grind starts again. He said: "I'm going to go away and have a burger now. That'll just literally chill me out a little bit. Then I'll be able to drop straight back into the diet from tomorrow.
"I'll drop pretty quick now. We'll drop into a deficit again and in two days I'll be back where I was. I'm not in a massive deficit. It's about 250g carbs, with fats about 40g. It's not been too, too low. I've been a lot lower. I used to do no carbs. I've always had to go really low with diet because I've always got soft in the off-season. I'm that genetic type to put on a lot of fat. I like my food. I'd eat double everything all the time!"
