THE UPGRADER

It’s not always easy to know if you’re training ‘right’. Ben Marum would always train hard, but workouts were often social affairs with chatting between sets that distracted from his sessions.

‘I’ve always wanted to train to my full potential,’ says Ben, who’s teamed up with WBFF athlete Tim Chase to achieve his goals. ‘The problem was I never quite knew how to take that next step.’

Two months into his Optimum Nutrition Upgrade programme Ben is already making huge strides, with Chase providing the consistency and expertise that was previous absent. The first goal of the programme was to create an achievable training and nutrition plan that Ben could stick to. ‘In the gym I got Ben to focus on good technique, tempo and intensity throughout his workouts,’ says Chase. ‘We aimed to increase either the weight lifted or reps each week.’

Ben has already seen improvements to his strength. Whereas previously he would chase the biggest weight he could move, regardless of technique, he now understands

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how important form is to progression. And it’s working – Ben’s already added 10cm to his chest.

Although the training is tough, Ben’s biggest challenge has been the amount of food. ‘I’m on 3,500 calories a day,’ Ben says. ‘That was originally split between eight meals. I’m a teacher, so I struggled to find the time.’ Instead Ben has started eating four larger meals a day, which he says is much more manageable, along with convenient Optimum Nutrition supplements. ‘Eating all this food is paying off,’ he says. ‘I started at 78kg and now I’m at 84kg.’

The hard work, structure and dedication to diet are pushing Ben closer to his goal of being in the best shape of his life. ‘Ben has fully committed himself to the Upgrade Challenge,’ says Chase. ‘His strength has improved, his weight has increased and his calories are now higher than ever. This gives us the perfect platform to start Ben on his cut phase, to shift the excess body fat and create his beach body.’