Dan Yeomans: Road to the Arnold's.

Here at CSN we pride ourselves in being involved with a wide array of athletes, and one of our #TeamCSN athletes is none other than Dan Yeomans. Dan is a terrific physique competitor, and having won the overall physique class at the UKBFF Welsh Grand Prix back in May Dan is on his way to the Arnold Classic in Madrid. We asked Dan a few questions to give you guys a bit of an insight into what it takes to be a top physique competitor. Dan, you’re on the road to the Arnolds in Madrid and you’re a little under 10 weeks out. How are you feeling? Ready? Correct I am currently sitting at around 8 weeks out and feeling pretty good. Going back to May where I claimed the top Physique prize at the Welsh Grand Prix, the goal for the Arnolds was obviously damage limitation from dieting down, working on weak points. I have had just under 2 months to pull those weak points up to the best of my ability while maintaining a relatively decent body fat level. So far I can't complain with what I have achieved with the guidance of Marc. I am sitting at a heavier weight than the Welsh with a lower body fat percentage, so far so good! Still plenty of work to come. How did you get into competing and what/who would you say is your inspiration? I was practically thrown into the deep end when it comes to competing! I had been trying to make a career as a fitness model at the time when I visited CSN for a supplement stock up. During that particular visit I was introduced to Marc who was the owner. Out of the blue he had asked me wether or not I had competed, the answer was a big fat no haha. At this moment in time I wasn't really aware of the boom that was occurring in the fitness industry with the Physique class. There and then he laid down an opportunity for me to be coached to compete in the up and coming Welsh Show which was around 4weeks away. So I have Marc to thank for getting me into the Sport. My biggest inspirations at the time included the man I had followed for years, Rob Riches. He has always been one of my biggest inspirations, more so in my younger days where he was an LA Muscle athlete. There was also the new kid on the the block that had taken everything he entered, Ryan Terry. Both of whom are great athletes. Especially Ryan who has now progressed onto becoming the first British Mens Physique IFBB Pro. I am aiming to follow in his steps and fulfil a dream of mine which is to become the first Welsh Mens Physique IFBB Pro. How has the coaching that you’ve been receiving from Marc Robinson been beneficial for your progress as a competing athlete? If it wasn't for the bank of knowledge that hides in that large head of his, I would not of accomplished what I have. He has been so patient with me and guided me step by step through my last 3 shows. I genuinely don't know how to thank him. He hasn't just been a coach though. If you know Marc you are aware that he tells you how it is and sometimes it's that tough love you need to get through those dark days of dieting.  Fingers crossed I can perform well at the Arnolds so I have something to give him back. What are you overall goals? What is it that you aim to achieve short term and long term? I have a few overall goals I wish to achieve. Short term to perform at the Arnolds and finish top 6 at the British Championships. Long term, like I had previously mentioned is to become the first Welsh Men's Physique IFBB Pro and an inspiration to up and coming athletes. What would you say are you biggest accomplishments so far in the fitness industry? Biggest accomplishments so far for me would be becoming a Pro athlete with my clothing sponsors Machine Fitness. I have been with these guys for over a year now and they have truly helped me on the social media side of things as that is becoming a powerful tool for promoting brands. Iv'e also bonded really well the other athletes. Another one of my favourite accomplishments was becoming a contracted athlete with my favourite supplement brand, Optimum Nutrition. Landing this was a dream come true. They push for excellence and it's great to be a part of the strong team that is Team ON. Last but not least my favourite accomplishment, well the one that is still hard to believe was the Overall Physique win the Welsh Grand Prix. When you plough so much work, time and effort into a 5 minute slot on stage and it pays off it felt really good. What supplements have you been using and why? My current stack is simple but effective and is as follows. Gold Standard Whey for Breakfast and Cooking (Protein Pancakes) Flaxseed oil. (Weight Management) CLA (Weight Management) L-Glutamine (Being the most abundant Amino, It'll be rude not to replenish stores for optimum growth) L-Carnitine (Weight Management) Creatine (Keeping those ATP stores topped up for strength and size) Dextrose (Post workout Carbohydrates) Amino Energy (As an Intra drink) Platinum HydroWhey (Post Workout, ultra fast acting whey protein, high in Aminos too) Gold Standard Casein (Keep that body fuelled for repair while you sleep)

You can check out our full range of Optimum Nutrition products.

Give us a sneak peak at how your diet will be changing as you begin to cut before your competition? My diet will obviously vary and change on the run into a competition based on my weight, fullness, time to compete, etc A little example of how it may change without giving away Marc's hard work,  would be that my Carbohydrates may be lowered through a select group of meals but keeping them Pre and Post Workout. Cycling carbohydrates depending on what is being trained may also be implemented. How do you manage full time prep for your competition around a full time job? For me being a Personal Trainer I live eat and sleep being healthy. Probably like a lot the guys and girls that will be reading this. Competitions for me now are my priority, it is something that I totally wish to dedicate myself to. Not just being on stage but promoting and helping the sport out as much as possible. The position I am currently in allows me to do this, of course it's hard work but we wouldn't change a thing. For someone who is looking to develop their physique to competition standard, what 3 tips would you give them? My top 3 tips for trimming up.. I would firstly say, being the most obvious one. Drink plenty of water. Averaging 2 litres a day simply isn't enough. Bump that up to 4. Secondly, buy some weighing scales. For years I guessed the weight of my food with moderate results. Since buying scales and dialling in my food weight I have seen a noticeable change in my physique for the better. Thirdly, Mix your training up. Don't get stuck into the routine of doing the same workouts because you feel good at them. Research and implement new training styles into your routine to keep the body guessing and progressing!

You can follow Dan's progress throughout the remainder of his prep and beyond the Arnold's on his Twitter @DR_Yeomans, and keep your eyes peeled on our blog for future posts!

Best of luck, Dan!