Muscle Evolution Muscle_Evolution__July-August_2017 | Page 71

TRAINING DETAIL IN THE DIET Bodybuilding is one of the few sports in which nutrition is as important as training. While a solid nutritional programme can make a huge difference for any athlete, it is absolutely vital for a bodybuilder. Bossie’s off-season diet totals around 8,000 calories a day, consisting mainly of oats, eggs, fish, ostrich mince and basmati rice, sweet potatoes and mixed vegetables. He would add whey protein shakes in between his whole-food meals to get sufficient protein each day to build BOSSIE’S DUMBBELL BLITZ FOR PECS the muscle mass and strength needed for success on the stage. “My diet when I cut for a competition goes down to 5,500 calories and my macronutrient ratios would depend entirely on how I feel and look. I’m meticulous in my approach to getting the right amount of protein, carbs and fats to deliver exactly what my body needs. My coach Gawie Nel (Nella) has been assisting me for many years and he knows exactly how to adjust my diet.” Just because you’ve been doing the barbell bench religiously since your high school days does not mean you cannot change it up every once in a while. Bossie continuously re- evaluates his approach to building a better chest, and he is the first to admit that the older he gets the harder it is to stay at the top of his game. “Becoming a champ is easy in comparison with staying on top. Once you’ve made peace with the simple fact that it’s not going to get any easier, you can go a long way in the sport.” What this means is when others slack off on their eating and training after a show, Bossie continues with the same drive and focus. “For me this is a winning formula for a long career. I love bodybuilding and I love being in shape.” When he started out he trained chest purely on instinct. “I moved a ton of weight as opposed to using different techniques to hit the muscle from different angles.” INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS 4 SETS X 12-15 REPS HOW TO DO IT: Bossie kicks off his chest blitz with incline dumbbell presses. “If you neglect the top of the chest you’ll end up with some form of man-boobs!” He sets the bench at an angle of 45 degrees to avoid recruiting too much of his shoulders when he targets the upper chest. “I like dumbbells because one of the key aspects of hypertrophy is pushing nutrient-rich blood into the muscles and dumbbells are perfect for that.” He uses different techniques to hit the target muscle. “Dumbbell work is not just about slamming heavy weight and maxing out. You need the energy, pump, strength, focus and endurance to reach the deeper muscle fibres of the chest – it all has to be there!” MUSCLES TARGETED: Middle & upper chest. BOSSIE’S HANDY TIP: Keep your chest up and your shoulders back. Focus on the squeeze at the top of the movement. 68 Muscle Evolution