Name; Ramsay Strachan
Age; born 1978
Gym you train at and location;
Auchenharvie Gym in Stevenston, in reality it is a spit and sawdust place not much bigger than a shed, but it keeps putting out a great standard of athlete.
Q.1 Why did you start bodybuilding and did you have any goals of competing to begin with? Sounds stupid to say/type this, but like so many bodybuilders of my generation, it was Arnie and Stallone movies that got me hooked… but it’s even a wee bit more deep rooted than that. When I was about 6 or 7, I started going round to my schoolmates house to play, and he had this massive colour TV. Well that blew me away, because we were still on a black and white portable (those were the days!). Lo and behold he also had an early VHS player too! So he puts on a video for us to watch – and as luck would have it, it was Arnie’s Commando. Well, you have got to imagine the impact this had on me – I’m watching this huge guy carrying a tree on one shoulder, a chainsaw in the other hand, arms bursting out all over the place – and on a colour TV for the first time, and not a small one either! I think that was the point I was destined to train with weights at some point. It took me another 6 or 7 years to persuade my parents to get me a weight set, and, at the tender age of 13, made my first small steps into the world of bodybuilding. There were no dreams of competing initially though, this came a bit later – I spoke about it a lot when I was 18, but then it just got kind of but on the back burner.
Q.2 What is your current training schedule like? How does it differ between pre-contest and off season?
Our training schedule is always constantly varying on a micro scale, but follows the framework of training every 2nd day, splitting the body into 5 sessions. 1 is chest and triceps OR biceps, 2 is back and traps, 3 is shoulders and triceps OR biceps, 4 is quads, 5 is hamstrings and calfs. A little out of vogue these days as the old myth of more is better still permeates – but we only train each bodypart directly every ten days or so. It works well for us! One of the major things we have done is create a session purely for hamstrings and calfs as opposed to the norm of doing the entire leg in one session – our hamstrings/calfs have came on leaps and bounds since doing this, to the point where they are almost trademark points for my training partner and I.
Q.3 How long have you been competing?
I am a total novice at competing – this is just my 2nd year on stage.
Q.4 What are your main competitive achievements?
Winning my first ever show – the NABBA Mr & Ms Scoltand, 1st timers class is definitely up there, as you only get one chance to win that first show, it either happens for you or it doesn’t. Winning everything I entered that first year was nice too! Although it did handicap me for this year by meaning I had to compete at Mr level – and I suppose it’s an achievement in itself that I could actually hold my own at that level, after having made the progression so quickly.
Q.6 What weight are you off season and contest time?
Very hard one to say as I am haven’t levelled out in terms of growth, and have only had one “offseason” so far – in which I chose the bulk at all costs route, and hit 260lb. A lot of this was fat however, and for this off season I tend to try the lean quality gain approach in order to compare both methods and see what works best for me. Contest weights again still variable, but anywhere between 196 and 210 it would seem right now – too light currently for my frame but it all takes time.
Q.7 What are your current competitive goals?
Just to fill out my frame and look “right” on stage – how I place is largely irrelevant now as the only comparison that has any meaning to me now is me now vs me on stage last time, to gauge improvements. If I got carried away and we are talking about dreams – I’d love to stand on the NABBA Universe stage and not look out of place…
Q.8 Why do you feel you have been able to make continuous gains over the years?
I believe I have made continuous gains at any time I have put my mind to it by always trying to learn, documenting my OWN reactions to certain methods for future reference, and by not taking any one individuals word as gospel, rather listening to everything I can, reading what I can, then applying logic and a wee bit of trial and error to get things working. I feel that although science plays a heavy part in bodybuilding, bodybuilding is not and cannot ever be a science itself… Consistency and patience are the other factors, it took me a long time to actually grasp how long it takes to achieve gains in bodybuilding, even if you are doing 100%...
Q.9 What supplements do you use?
Not having the greatest of appetites, I do rely heavily on supplements, but I keep it simple. Protein first and foremost, I also use Extreme “Build and Recover” just now and think that is great, very convenient and a great formula. I also rate Liquid Fury very highly, I used it before going on stage this year and couldn’t believe the pumps and increase in vascularity – I’ll be implementing this pre-workout soon! And I think I am harbouring an addiction for Coconut and Tropical Nutri-Pro Bars, no other protein bar on the market tastes as good as these IMO!!!
Q.10 How much do you feel supplements and sports nutrition help your training?
Well… as I said before, my appetite isn’t the greatest so to get the basic amount of protein/carbohydrate and fat I require to push toward my goals through food alone is just impossible for me. Also, when you start looking at all the other nutrients that a bodybuilder likes to use for the best chance of growth – creatine, vitamins, minerals etc – you just couldn’t eat enough food to give you those levels. If you could you’d become ill, obese, or both. Supplements are essential for bodybuilders in my opinion, as an extra intake layer over a base as much good food as you can take in.
Q.11 What is it that motivates you through a gruelling workout?
First and foremost my training partner – successful Scottish & UK bodybuilder Brian Harris. This guy has been my prime motivation since getting into training seriously, and he also showed me that it was possible for me to get on stage – and win – by doing it himself for the first time in 2006. Being a competitive bodybuilder also brings its own motivation in the form of pressure to do well – there are eyes on you, people have expectations – and you push harder in the gym to exceed those expectations.
Q.12 Who, if anyone, do you want to thank over the years for their help? There are too many to list here exhaustively, but obviously my training partner Brian, my other half Lorianne, my family and of course Raymond Brand of Auchenharvie Gym for his continued guidance & support. I couldn’t continue to do this without these people! Also, just anyone who has taken the time to help (no matter how small)! It is all sincerely appreciated.
