Biography
of Jonathan Mortimer
What
interested you in bodybuilding and how long have you
been in training?
I
entered my first show when I was seventeen years old
and won the NABBA Under 18s Scottish Championship.
To be honest, I really fell in to the sport; I was
going to the gym regularly with my brother and training
hard, then somebody said I should try a bodybuilding
show. I showed up, gave it a go and loved every second.
I
love the sensation of being on stage and giving it
my all. With every year that I've gone back I've learned
something new, either some knowledge in posing, or
a new diet to try. I would recommend anybody to give
it a go and see what they think. Nobody can say you
are too skinny or fat to be up there and nobody can
take the feeling or the experience away from you.
I
see that you decided to take training and fitness
seriously. What effect has any of this had on your
day-to-day life?
It
means waking up and eating straight away, then keeping
the food coming every 2-3 hours (even if you don't
want it). It also means controlling your diet intake,
i.e., watching the amount of protein and carbs, etc.
It gets especially hard when you are out with your
mates for dinner and you've got to have water and
salad, or sneak your own ready meals into a restaurant.
So I would say that the diet has affected my life
more than anything else because you've always got
to think of your next competition and what place you
want to strive for.
Then,
of course, the training is hard and there are days
when you just do not want to be there. These are the
days you have got to push yourself harder. It is a
challenge in itself just having a day off to recover,
but once again, you just have to do it.
How
do you find the time to train and do you have any
tips for others?
I
have found, since working through ENROL, that I have
a lot more time to do what I want. I go to the gym
3-4 days a week, with rest days in between; before
I would find it hard taking a day off, thinking I
was missing out on training. I soon found out that
by taking two days off in a row for a rest that I
recovered faster, which gave me more incentive to
get back in to the gym and train harder.
Another
big difference is that I have a 'Cardio Day'. This
is a training session dedicated to cardio work, lasting
anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour. I feel that this
gives a better balance to my training and makes it
a bit more interesting and less repetitive. At the
end of the day you have got to try new concepts and
keep your body guessing.
Which
competitions have you entered and what would be your
ultimate achievement?
I
have entered a range of different competitions such
as NABBA Scotland, Pro-Lab and BNBF Scotland. I would
like to see what level of competition I can get to;
I hope to place at the British competition and I am
willing to fight to get there.
On
a side note, I would really like to compete internationally,
even if it is just a local show, to advance my experience.
How
did you become involved in ENROL-BNBF?
I
entered the BNBF Scottish show and was lucky enough
to be picked out for the Best Presentation Award.
Since then I haven't looked back, trying my best to
make myself and ENROL-BNBF proud,
So,
do you hope to make a real difference to the sport?
I
hope to prove that the little guy can give the bigger
guys a run for their money. Even if I don't make a
difference, then I might inspire someone else to carry
on the cause.
What
improvements do you expect this year?
I
know I am going to get bigger and ripped this year
- time is on my side.
Back
to International New Talent
