38 FLEX| JUNE 2016
LIFESTYLE
CHANGE
JACOB BUTTERFIELD CANCELLED A BEACH
HOLIDAY SO THAT HE COULD GET THE ULTIMATE
B E A C H B O D Y.
When Jacob Butterfield was
20, he went to see a bodybuilding
competition and was so inspired
that he cancelled a holiday to Ibiza,
got a coach and hasn’t looked
back since. Last year, he won
in men’s physique at the UKBFF
North Championships and finished
fourth at the Arnold Classic Europe
and third at the Diamond Cup.
FLEX: Why did seeing a contest
inspire you?
Jacob Butterfield: Imagine being
rewarded for something you
consider to be a hobby whilst
being in the best shape of your
life...that’s what I thought. I had
been training consistently from
the age of 15 and got to the point
where I wanted more for my
efforts. I was inspired by those on
stage and felt it was now or never.
What have you learned about
pushing your body to the limit?
That the main barrier to success
in everything you do is more than
likely your own thoughts and
beliefs.
What’s your training split?
I prefer to train more than one
muscle group a session, so I
usually follow a push/pull/legs
split during competition prep
and offseason. I find a higher
AGE: 22
PLACE OF BIRTHPLACE OF BIRTH: Barnsley: Barnsley
LIVESLIVES: Barnsley: Barnsley
HEIGHTHEIGHTHEIGHT: 170 cm / 5ft 7in: 170 cm / 5ft 7in: 170 cm / 5ft 7inCONTEST WEIGHTCONTEST WEIGHTCONTEST WEIGHT: 76 kg / 168lb: 76 kg / 168lb: 76 kg / 168lb
CAREER HIGHLIGHTCAREER HIGHLIGHT: 4th place in : 4th place in
junior men’s physique at 2016 Arnold junior men’s physique at 2016 Arnold
Classic Europe. Classic Europe.
AMBITIONAMBITION: To help, motivate, and : To help, motivate, and
inspire others as a successful inspire others as a successful
competitor and coach.competitor and coach.TRAINING ADVICETRAINING ADVICETRAINING ADVICE: Lift heavy, but : Lift heavy, but : Lift heavy, but
lift smart. Don’t compromise form for lift smart. Don’t compromise form for lift smart. Don’t compromise form for
load, but always make sure you’re load, but always make sure you’re
pushing yourself to failure. Muscular pushing yourself to failure. Muscular
failure, not mental.failure, not mental.
SOCIAL MEDIA: SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram:Instagram:Instagram: butterfield.jacob butterfield.jacob butterfield.jacob
Facebook:Facebook: JBFITNESSONLINE JBFITNESSONLINECLASSIC MUSCLE PROFILE
frequency style of training with
a mixture of low and high volume
between sessions, rotating
between rep ranges of 5-12 on a
variety of exercises, to be most
effective.How does your training change
from offseason to pre-contest?
Not much. The only differences are
that during contest prep I include
more varied training techniques,
such as drop sets to maintain
intensity, as strength gets lower. I
also do more cardio. Up to a week
out from a show, I do up to nine
sessions. The majority will always
be fasted first thing in the morning
and low intensity at a steady state
for up to 60 minutes. If I do any
extra, it is HIIT post-workout.What’s the toughest aspect of
dieting?
The strict and intense training
regime and food aren’t a problem.
I enjoy eating healthily and never
get cravings. They’re all part
of a lifestyle aligned with my
goals. What I find hard about this
mentality is crediting myself and
being happy with where I’m at. The
social restrictions are also tough.What do you eat pre-contest?
Every day is the same. I have a
really high carbohydrate-basedtMeal 1 Pineapple,oats, peanut
butter, egg whites, and
spinach
Meal 2Extra lean steak mince,
sweet potato, and
asparagus
Meal 3Same as meal 2
Meal 4(Pre-workout): Chicken
breast, white potato or
Basmati rice, and raisins
Meal 5(Post-workout): Same as
meal 4
Meal 6Whole egg and egg white
omelette with mixed
vegetables and coconut oilWhich men’s physique
competitors do you most
admire?
Ryan Terry—a fellow UK athlete
who has the best midsection
on the Olympia stage combined
with perfect size, symmetry, and
proportions. I also admire Romane
Lanceford, who is a great example
of how hard work and consistency
will get you where you want to be.What advice would you give
anyone thinking of competing?
Make sure you have a substantial
amount of training experience
and solid dietary foundations to
start with, invest in a coach, make
sure your reason for wanting to
compete is meaningful and believe
in yourself but be prepared to lose- you can’t win them all. You have
to love the process and not just
the thought of winning. It will be
physically and mentally challenging
but the rewards and lessons make
it all worthwhile
JACOB
BUTTERFIELDBUTTERFIELD