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James Llewellin
Overall UKBFF British Champion 2008
By Giles Thomas
Many thought it would never happen this year, the heavyweight line-up and even the light-heavyweight line-up at this year’s UKBFF British finals would be too strong for any other class winner to dream of winning the overall. “Impossible”, most in the know folk said. James Llewellin proved all the naysayers wrong and in very convincing style too! On the night of the 19th of October 2008 after five straight and hard years of gruelling competitions, James was finally awarded his IFBB pro card and overall title of British Champion. It’s been a pretty fast journey for him since he competed in the 2003 NABBA SE First Timers class where he won his very first contest, up to now, just half a decade later. From gym rat to IFBB professional… impressed? You should be. Just for BodyFitness I got James in, so we could speak to the man behind the muscle. Enjoy.
Giles: Hi James, thanks for coming in for us and congratulations mate, overall British Champion, IFBB pro, you must be buzzing!
James: It’s been a mad few weeks since my win. Most would celebrate with maybe a drink, certainly a good feed for a few days, but not me. I was back doing cardio only six hours after my win around the streets of Nottingham, starting my depletion for the Hercules guest spot. Utter madness but I wanted to show those that didn’t make the trip why I had become the new overall champion. It’s only been this week, three weeks later, I have come off my diet after the Stars of Tomorrow guest spot, but those that know me know that my off-season is pretty religious too and the cardio is still in there, just not quite the two hours I was doing though!
Giles: We’ll get onto the British this year in a bit. Firstly, tell us a bit of the basics… age, occupation, where you live, that kind of thing.
James: I am now 35 and I run a personal training business in North Kent where I also live with my wife Nicki. I have been married five years now and we have been together for ten. She is my soul mate and best friend and biggest fan!
Giles: Rightio, let’s take it back to 2003… You’d been training a number of years and the NABBA South East was coming up in April, what made you decide to compete finally? Was it just your idea or was someone else there pushing you to compete?
James: I had always thought that maybe I would “one day” compete but it was after my training partner told me I would never make a bodybuilder due to my lack of genetics. He said I would be much more suited to lifting, as in powerlifting. From that day I set about preparing for the show in April just before I was to be wed to Nic in the May.
Giles: You won that show and created a bit of a stir, I remember a lot of people were saying that there was no way that you were a first timer as you were too good. Did you take this as a compliment or did it annoy you?
James: No, not at all, I took it as a big compliment. When I was standing back stage I really did have second thoughts. Everyone looked so good and I remember the lad that eventually came second to me, he was about 17 stone and over six foot tall!
Giles: After the win what changed for you then, did you now have a lot more confidence in yourself and what did you decide would be your next move?
James: I knew that I wanted that feeling of winning again and again so I decided to do the NABBA Novice Finals later on that year in November, which I went on to win. I then decided to move over to the EFBB (now UKBFF) and do the Stars of Tomorrow show as I was in shape. So I did the intermediate class and won that too, beating Dave Talbot into second place and he was a big lad back then too.
Giles: 2004 came and you did the EFBB British, as a middleweight (under 80kg), and you came third behind class and overall winner Paul George and Dave Griffith in second, which was very impressive considering it was only your first year. Why did you not want to do the intermediate British class instead?
James: I just thought, what the hell!
Giles: Did you re-qualify for the under 80kg before you went to Nottingham or did they let you in that class for winning the Stars intermediates?
James: I didn’t ask, I just did another qualifier. I loved being on stage and I had just done and won the u200lb class at Gravesend and the overall the week before, so the East of England show it was the week after.
Giles: By this point you were improving rapidly and competing frequently, was and is it a case for you that the more you compete, the more you improve?
James: I don’t know really. It forced me to eat clean and not get too out of shape and that’s something I now do religiously in my very short “off-season” periods between shows.
Giles: So, 2005 and you clearly wanted to take the British title. What areas did you feel that you had to improve to move up to the winners spot?
James: I felt I needed more in the legs, back and chest and I needed better conditioning too, as well as better presentation; at that level you can’t leave anything to chance.
Giles: You won that year at the finals against Nathan Selcon in second and Tom Blackman in third. Was that your main goal, to win the class, or by this point were you simply doing the under 80kg class a means to an end for your pro card?
James: No, it was never my intention to win the overall or indeed take my pro card; it was purely about the win in this class for me anything else would have been a massive bonus.
Giles: With under 80kg British class winner like Paul George in 2004, Mark Harris in 2001 and Mike King in 2000 did you think then that the overall and pro card was possible as an under 80kg, or was it just the class win you were most concerned with?
James: I will always maintain that I was going for the class win. I knew what I looked like as a middleweight and knew that with added mass and conditioning I would be hard to beat in that class. I was very confident, especially with Neil telling me 24/7! Once the class win was there you have a one-in-four chance, so after the middleweight win it was time to gather my thoughts and concentrate on the job in hand… the overall.
Giles: In 2006 you decided to sit out the British but you still competed but in other feds. Why not do the British that year and what other shows did you do and why?
James: I just fancied a change to be honest. I had a lot of respect for Scott Horton and how he put so much into his shows and the federation he was with. When he came over to the UKBFF this year it was fantastic news for everyone.
Giles: So, was it a case of thinking you needed more size and stepping up to the under 90kg class if you hoped for the pro card and overall?
James: I suppose it was just a natural progression as I added mass to my frame. The overall and pro card was never really on my mind. It was all about presenting something different to the judges and progressing each time.
Giles: In 2007 you went up against subsequent overall winner Flex Lewis; you took second. Was it as close in your opinion as many said it actually was?
James: It was close in so much as I had a little more mass and muscle maturity than him at the time but it was Flex all the way in the shape and symmetry dept and he fully deserved his win.
Giles: So, here we are 2008, nearly all the forums are touting you, Shaun Tavernier and Darren Ball as the three favourites to take the whole show. Who did you see as your main opposition?
James: Myself to be honest. It all counts on that single day and it just needs someone to be off by a few percent for the decision to go the other way. I didn’t concern myself with anyone else. I have a lot of respect for those guys though.
Giles: When did you meet up with Neil Hill then?
James: I first met Neil after the British last year in a restaurant down in Wales; it was a chance meeting. He came over told me I looked fat and how he didn’t recognise me (laughs), and he said if I was ever down to look him up and we would catch a training session together. It wasn’t then until the NABBA finals in May that we spoke again and we swapped numbers and met up in early June at his world famous Tenby gym. We ended up training five days straight. We hit it off and clicked straight away. Towards the end of the week he said he would like to help me and I jumped at the chance! Then myself, my wife Nic and Neil and his wife Angie all went out to dinner on the last night. I was glad to be going home; Neil absolutely killed me in the gym. It has now changed the way that I train.
Giles: What was your reaction when he told you that he wanted to bring you right down for the under 80kg class again as opposed to the under 90kg like you did in 2007?
James: Excitement and also apprehension, to be honest. I knew in real condition I would be around 81-82kg so I thought, “Yes, I will lose a little size”, but I honestly think that my physique suits the u80’s better.
Giles: Of course, there were lot’s of rumours as to why you were choosing to go this route and naturally others said that you were bluffing and that no way would you actually be able to get down to the under 80kg class, and also if you did that you would not win the pro card by coming in smaller and lighter especially with the light heavies and heavies classes being so strong. Did you feel confident all along that you could pull it off and succeed, or did you doubt this decision to come down a class?
James: Absolutely. I had a lot of mail from people questioning my decision, but I had 100% trust in Neil and his methods and knew that I would present my best ever package as a middleweight.
Giles: As we know, it paid off and you pretty much shocked everyone with the incredible new look. On the day who did you see as your main competition. Barny? Shaun? Darren?
James: I saw Duane as my biggest threat in the middles and knew if Shaun was to win the light heavies he would be the one to watch.
Giles: So, here we are and you are now an IFBB pro… what’s the next stage of your career now you’ve achieved your goal for the last few years? Time off or straight into the pros? The 202 class maybe next year?
James: It’s now time to take a little time out of competitive bodybuilding after five straight years. I haven’t even had a real off-season before! I have hit the stage eight times in the past 12 months with guest spots, etc and competed on average three times a year in those five years. So it’s time to let the body relax, take it all in, self promote and spend some quality time with my wife Nicki. Neil and myself have a plan for spring 2010, and that’s when I will make my debut.
Giles: With 26 pounds to go before you even reach the 202 limit, going by your 2008 British showing, do you feel confident that you can do well in this new class?
James: Yes, I think I can be competitive. It’s all about adding mass to those areas that need it nice and slowly and keep my mid-section tight.
Giles: What would be your five-year plan in the IFBB now… 202 Olympia winner maybe?
James: Just to keep improving. I have no long-term goals and never have. I have always set my goals day-to-day, week-to-week; if you do that you progress and keep it real and grounded.
Giles: What about Flex Lewis, do you think you can pull ahead and beat him in the next few years?
James: To be perfectly honest, no. He is a young man in the sport and I am in the twilight years! (laughs) The improvements he has made this last year are phenomenal and I feel very proud to call him a friend.
Giles: What did you think of this year’s British, aside from yourself of course, any comments?
James: I didn’t see any of it to be honest; I was either eating or sleeping back at the hotel. Once I have watched the DVD I will know!
Giles: You’ve always seemed to be a good self marketer and talker, you really do get your name out there. Can you tell us a bit about your new DVD and website and also any other things going on with you at the moment?
James: Yes, I have always tried to present myself well and always have encouraged people to come up and ask any questions they may have. I love talking and I love bodybuilding, so get me talking about it and it’s hard for me to stop! I have always tried to offer advice and now that www.jamesllewellin.com is up and running it enables me to do this. It’s a great friendly site with lots on it to browse through. I am on there every day answering questions or entering into a bit of friendly banter. The DVD was an idea I have had for a while and I thought the lead-in to the British this year would be an ideal time. The outcome was always uncertain but it couldn’t really have worked out any better. It follows me through the last eight weeks of the diet including all my training, diet, supplementation, posing, interviews, video diary of my last weeks prep down in Wales with Neil and obviously the UK Champs itself. There is also a wrap-up interview where I talk very candidly about the sport and where I fit into it. I am so excited about it and the guys doing it are real pro’s with great innovative ideas with the editing. It should hit the shelves in the first week of December just in time for Xmas! You will be able to buy it from my site as well as other reputable bodybuilding outlets.
Giles: What advice could you offer to other bodybuilders with similar aspirations that you yourself had over the last three or four years?
James: Just keep it simple and effective, both training and diet. Get enough rest and treat the “off” season with the kind of detail you do in the “on” season. Don’t get fat either, stay lean and look like a bodybuilder rather than a big fat guy. Set small achievable goals rather than one large unattainable goal. Be courteous and show respect to others in the sport and most of all enjoy it; once it becomes a chore its time to take up scrabble.
Giles: What did you think of the Olympia results this year, James? Should Dexter have won?
James: Yes. Dexter has paid his dues, comes in shape to every show and has the look that many feel is the way bodybuilding should go. A true champion in every sense of the word.
Giles: Your collaboration with Neil Hill seemed to work very well and a wise move on your part. What exactly did you do so differently working with Neil that you maybe hadn’t done before or was it just a case of him cracking the whip and keeping you right in the final stages of your prep?
James: I know how to diet but what I didn’t know is how far I could push it. Neil gave me the confidence I needed to push the boundaries and go to a place I never thought possible. We also laughed a lot and that had a profound effect on fat burning, even in the last week of depletion!
Giles: What made you hook up with Neil in the first place, would you say? Was it seeing Flex’s success that spurred you on to contact him?
James: It was fate, meant to be. Neither of us set out to work together, it just kind of happened during that fateful week in Tenby.
Giles: Who else do you think has real pro potential in this country?
James: Shaun Tavernier for sure, Stuart Core, Zack Khan, Darren Ball, the list goes on. What it tells us is that British bodybuilding is in a very good place at the moment.
Giles: Let’s talk about diet… You are one of these new breed of bodybuilders that prepares for a show year round as you pay attention to your diet and supplementation 365 days of the year. Have you always been this meticulous or is it a recent thing?
James: I have always been fairly meticulous, but the last two to three years I have made it my business to be in shape year round. I am a personal trainer and nutritionist myself; I am my own shop window!
Giles: So, give us a typical off-season diet?
James:
6am – 1 Scoop True Whey
CARDIO 20-30mins, 3 x a week
Meal 1 7.30am – 100g oats, 65g Total Protein, 20g raisins, 20g cashew nuts, 50g granola, 250ml semi skimmed milk
TRAIN
Meal 2 11am – 55g Impact Whey Isolate 55g vitargo
Then 1 MP Max Meal replacement at 12pm
Meal 3 1pm – 5 whole eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter
Meal 4 3pm – 200g chicken, 70g brown rice, 10g olive oil, veg or salad
Meal 5 5pm – same as Meal 4
Meal 6 7.30pm – 200g salmon, 300g white potatoes, veg
Meal 7 10pm – same as Meal 1
Meal 8 2am – 1 scoop Bedtime Extreme, 50g oats, 10g peanut butter.
Giles: Pre-contest diet?
James: I start 14 weeks out. Starts the same layout as the off-season diet but I have calolries at a level where I am neither gaining nor losing weight. Cardio is increased to 30-40min three or four times a week, and 12 weeks out the milk and dairy gets taken out. Food is the last thing to go. Cardio is increased until such a point where calories need to be dropped. I go for two pounds-a-week weight loss and weigh myself am and pm every day. If by the Thursday I have dropped too much I put more food in and if I am not losing enough I increase cardio or take a little food out. Simple. Let’s just say I was still eating bread four weeks out and my salmon only went in the last two-and-a-half weeks. As for the last four weeks, that’s Neil’s domain and that would be telling! (laughs).
Giles: Do you use a lot of supplements? What would you say are essential to anyone wanting to really progress?
James: I like to eat whole foods but of course supplements are essential to make the diet complete and eat the required amounts of protein each and every day.
Giles: Are you sponsored at the moment?
James: Yes Myprotein are my exclusive nutritional sponsors currently.
Giles: Who are your biggest supporters in your bodybuilding?
James: My wife Nicki, without a doubt.
Giles: What else do you like to do aside from bodybuilding? Nando’s maybe? (laughs)
James: Ah, Nando’s… I was there yesterday! Food does play quite a key role in my life so it’s no surprise I like going out with Nicki every week for a nice feed at either my friend’s curry house or our local Italian chain Prezzos. I also like skiing and travelling. Telly or films don’t interest me, I can’t stay awake long enough after working a 15-hour day!
Giles: Where do you train at the moment?
James: I train at the Ministry of Muscle in Aylesford, Kent. Steve Winter owns and runs it with his partner Gina. They have been instrumental in my success and have given me so much over the last two years. It’s also home to IFBB pro Sarah Bridges and a lot of the top strongmen in the country, so it has a good vibe.
Giles: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people!
James: I got arrested for indecent exposure for taking a leak in a lay-by when I was moving down to Wales to live in my gap year. My car didn’t lock and I had all my worldly possessions in it so I thought I would take a quick pee and keep an eye on the car, little did I know a very bored police officer was following me… the bastard! (laughs).
Giles: What style of training do you follow; what splits, etc?
James: At the moment I train on a restricted split over seven days. I am not training shoulders or arms and concentrating on powerlifting and strength training, I may even look to compete next year in a powerlifting comp.
Giles: Fantastic! Was winning the British your greatest moment ever in your five years as a competitive bodybuilder?
James: Yes, along with winning my very first show.
Giles: You seem to get a lot of guest posings and you always turn up in great shape… would you say that I have just answered my own question?
James: Yes. Who wants to see a guy out of shape huffing and puffing on stage?
Giles: Regarding the current crop of UK pro’s at the moment, who do you rate for the future and why?
James: Flex for me. He will own the 202 in a few years. There are many more, though, that I look up to, including John Hodgson, Lee Powell, Eddie Abbew and of course the old greats like Dorian and Ernie.
Giles: Thanks James, we can leave it here mate. Great to see you as always, and good luck with you future and pro career. All your UK fans are behind you 100%!
James: Thanks to you too Giles, it’s been emotional! (laughs).
To contact James Llewellin – www.jamesllewellin.com.
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