48 years old
25 years training
Current Bodyweight: 80 kg
Summer Diet Bodyweight: 76-77kg
October 2007
Andy Loizou
Living Life AND Bodybuilding
Background Information:
48 years old
25 years training
Current Bodyweight: 80 kg
Summer Diet Bodyweight: 76-77kg
You could say that Andy is one of a kind in Cyprus, but his motivation with training isn’t one that you see every day anywhere in the World. For 9 month out of the year you can catch Andy in the gym every morning before 6:30 and again in the afternoon for both cardio work as well as weight training. When asked about his training program he simply said “It all depends on how I feel and what my weak points are at the time. If my front delts and triceps need the extra work, they may get hit twice or so a week. But I never miss my cardio sessions.”
Everyone wants to know the secret of progress in anyone else’s training he said that people ask him all the time what his program is as well as what he is taking. When I asked him the same questions he stated “a pharmacy bottle will not give you the drive and focus that you need to get in the gym and get done what needs to be done. The magic comes from my diet, being consistent in my training, and my training intensity.”
When he said intensity, it was a little different than what I normally do in the gym as I am known for only a couple of sets in the gym that leave me lying on the floor gasping for air for the next ten minutes. His idea was a little different and one that obviously works for him. When training he may walk into the gym for a “back and biceps” day but he looks at those parts of the body as a system, not a single muscle group. He says if he has an hour to train the body part, he will often just keep moving doing exercises for that body part till the hour is up. “But I don’t talk to anyone when I train. No body. I don’t answer my telephone unless it is my daughter or I a finished with the weights. Everything else can wait during my one hour of training.”
For his back training I saw him do a good bit of stretching for his arms, lower back, shoulders, and just a little bit of light cardio work to get him going. I watched him do a couple sets of seated rows, pull downs, lower back work (something similar to a deadlift), chin-ups, pull-ups, and a couple of sets of biceps and abs. “I only do a couple of sets of any particular exercise but I try to work till I feel that it has worked the muscles that it should have. I don’t have a certain set of exercises, sets, or reps that I like to do, I just listen to my body and understand what it is telling me.”
From simple observation he seemed to do a general body warm up and then worked from large muscle group (lats with rows) to smaller muscle groups (lats with chin ups and biceps). He never took more than 1 minute of rest between sets and when I asked him about it he said that if his back needed just a little more rest between sets he would just go and do a quick set of biceps or abs while his back was resting. I can say that I have been in quite a few gyms and most people seem to never really break a sweat. Andy was just starting to sweat before he began his first working set and by the time he was finished there wasn’t a dry spot on his clothes anywhere. He said that nearing his 50’s it was still important for him to train with intensity but to be smarter than he was in his 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. The way that he reaches this is by decreasing his rest times and most importantly learning each and every year what has and has not worked for him.
I asked him what he learned this year that will take him to the next level next year and he said that this year he rededicated himself to training his legs and lower back. At the beginning of summer he watched the Advanced Training I DVD that I had came out with and he said that when I was talking about training your legs and back it felt just like I was talking directly to him. Honestly, most people just skip over that section of the DVD (legs and back) and go straight to chest, biceps, and triceps. This year Andy said that he decided that he was going to squat again and started all over at his first session with the empty bar. Over this past Summer he said that he killed himself every leg training session but it did take a little extra motivation and encouragement from his “koumparos/best man” about the fear of hurting his lower back. “You know Clint, he sat me down and asked me what would happen if you took a Toyota Truck and put a big V-8 in it and supped it up to over 400 horse power and then put a big strong rear end in it.” He said that was an easy question for him as he said “the axle and a number of other things between the engine and the rear wheels could easily break into pieces.” After he had thought about it, he realized what he had just discovered. With a big strong upper body and even with strong legs, if your lower back and everything between your legs and your upper body are weak, something will eventually break.
This year’s squat, deadlift, and lower back routine has really paid off for him as his legs were bigger and leaner than ever and so was his lower back. Knocking on wood he looks at me and says “this year I’ve been able to push myself harder in the gym than any other year, because I don’t have any back problems.” His advice to anyone not training their lower back or their legs “Squat, even if it is just with the bar. Squat in a way that you can do it intensely even if it means that you did it like me and had to do 15 sets of 15 reps in about a hour with very little weight on the bar.”
I asked what he thought about “overtraining” and he said that he trained 7 days a week. Noting that if he ate like he needed, slept 8 hours a night, and listened to his body properly that he very rarely ever needed to take a day off from the gym. Andy did point out that when he felt mentally burned out and didn’t feel like training that he didn’t train, but that almost never happens. “Maybe once or twice a year I feel like that. A day or two of rest and I am ready to get back to the gym.”
But what about hunting season? This is where I started to laugh, even the first
time I met Andy a few years ago. “When hunting season starts, I rest from
the gym. I love to hunt, everything about it. Everything from getting my truck
ready (yes, he has a big Toyota Truck), checking out the hunting areas, to being
around my hunting friends all day long.” He did say that when he said
that he didn’t train during hunting season that really means that he only
comes in once or twice a week. I asked him if hunting here was really that exhausting
since I am from a big hunting area in the United States, and he said that it
can be rough. “On a normal day we will walk through trails, through the
mountains, and over rocks for 10-15 kilometers in a day. We have gone over 20
kilometers before, which is about 6 hours of non-stop moving through this terrain.
After that much up and down hill walking and hunting, pushing yourself in the
gym the next day is not an easy thing.” Now I know why he doesn’t
answer his mobile phone on Wednesdays and Sundays (hunting days) during The
Season.
Finishing up our interview I wanted to probe him just a little more about what helped him to get so lean so quickly and he said that he just simply never EVER cheated on a meal and never missed a cardio session. “This past year I went 5 months without any type of sugar and I was constantly getting in as much protein as possible.” Breakfast is often 6 extra large egg whites, 15 almonds, a green apple, and a glass of grapefruit juice for Andy and he never misses a meal every 2 hours of the day. “But the key to it all for me is being the kind of guy who can look and feel good, work my full-time job, go hunting, and be a good father. One way that I ensure all of those is from eating good most of the year and never missing a cardio session. You have to have a good heart because you can’t do any of those other things if you are dead.”
I left the gym almost tired myself from just watching Andy never stop moving through his training session and was amazed that he put on a thermal sweat suit to sweat even more during his cardio session (I was already over heating myself). I can say that as I follow Andy over the next few months I will be excited how he changes his training during hunting season, what his plans are for next year, and the fact that he promised me a cook out at his house as well as a day of “off-roading” in his truck.
Interested in being trained by Andy?
He can be reached at 99205966, when he isn’t training or hunting.
George Georgiou
IFBB Limassol, Cyprus President
Cyprus National Bodybuilding Coach
42 years old
20+ years training
Owner and Operator of Body Flex Gym
19-21 Thessalonikis Street, 4th floor, Limassol, Cyprus
25352513
George is one of those guys that if you have ever been really involved with any type of weight lifting in Limassol, you either know him or you have seen him everywhere and just never shook his hand. He definitely stands out in a crowd as I can say that he honestly looks like a giant gorilla with a big smile. Truly a mountain of a man that makes you very glad that he is as funny as he is gentle. Talk to anyone at his gym or who has talked to him very much and they will point out his strong willingness to help everyone who will listen to him. If you look around his gym you won’t find a lot of fancy machines or shiny new weight lifting bars. You won’t see people wearing new designer Nike shirts and shorts. You will, however, see people training hard, motivating each other, and a constantly improving group of people. As George calls them, “my gym members are part of my family.”
It doesn’t take long to realize that he really means that his gym members mean so much to him personally as people constantly come to him between their work out sets to ask him questions or to ask him to watch their technique on a lift. Also it is common for him to tell them “you have waited long enough, time to get back to training.” But you won’t hear him say anything bad about another gym or anyone training at another gym as he is actually trying to help anyone who is interested in making progress no matter where they train or what their sport may be.
Currently he is doing all that he can to help and support two of Cyprus’s top bodybuilders get ready for Worlds in South Korea on October 25th. Right now he is assisting Nickos Christofis (owner of Wolfman Gym) and Stavros Malaktos. Nickos will be competing in the Light Weight division under 70 kilograms and Stavros will be competing in the Light Heavy Class under 90 kilograms. Another bodybuilder who has made a name for himself over the past few years is Avramis, possibly one of the most talented young bodybuilders to come out of Cyprus. After recent stomach problems it looks like Avramis has had to drop out of competition for Worlds but vows to be back soon enough to make a name in the Heavy Weight Class. George did say that with guys on this level, you can only support them, give them advice, and just do all that you can to ease their tension about competing at such a high level. They already have the genetics and have put in the years of hard work to get them there.
George does offer his personal training and consulting services to anyone at all levels, especially if they are serious about their goals. After talking with him a few minutes you can tell that he is a guy who will tell you the truth about where you are, where you want to be, where you can go, and exactly how much hard work and dedication you will have to put in to get there. He also stresses that one should never stop learning. “I’m 42 years old and I am always picking up a book or magazine and reading everything that I can. Once you stop learning, you stop improving no matter what level you are at.” This kind of attitude is what earned him a 2nd and 4th place in bodybuilding at the Mediterranean Championships, 2nd in France, 4th in Spain, and top 15 in the European Championships not too long ago. After talking with a few of his members you can easily see that he believes in passing this knowledge on to others as well.
The Cyprus Bodybuilding Championships will be in Nicosia on October 20th. Anyone
interested in competing or attending should feel free to contact George at 25352513
anytime.
Eating For the “Off Season”
As an athlete myself, I understand that there really isn’t an “off season” but a season where I don’t focus on competitions near as much. Sometimes without a contest coming in the near future (or the thought of having to take your shirt off at the beach) it is easy to slack a little on the foods that you are putting into your body. But hey, Winter is just around the corner which means we will all be spending more time with our shirts on and a lot less time at the beach. It also means that the weather will be cooler and our appetites should be increasing as well. What we have to look at is making the best choices that we can that it into our lifestyles.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is simply not eating enough protein. A standard guide is that you should take your body weight in kilograms x 2.2 and that is how many grams you should be eating every day in protein. If you are thinking in pounds then just take your body weight in pounds and this is the exact number you should be eating in grams of protein. Most people do not come anywhere near this amount and if you think that you are, write down everything that you are eating and count it up every day. Here are some rough examples of what you can expect from some foods.
1 large tin of tuna: 40 grams
1 large tin of salmon: 40 grams
450 grams of beef: 80-100 grams
1 large egg: 6-8 grams
1 large egg white: 3.5-4 g
450 grams of chicken: 80-100 grams
1 scoop whey protein: 22-25 grams
So if you are about 75 kilograms then you should be eating a minimum of 165
grams of protein a day. This is a rough idea of what your protein intake could
be for the day:
2 scoops whey protein powder: 50 grams
1 large tin of tuna: 40 grams
4 eggs: 25 grams
250 grams chicken: 45 grams
If you are like myself (125-128 kgs) then you can expect something like:
4 scoops whey protein powder: 100 grams
6 eggs: 36 grams
1 large tin of tuna: 40 grams
1 large tin of salmon: 40 grams
350 grams of beef or pork: 60-80 grams
It is important to understand that if you are 75 kilograms and wish to be 85 kilograms, you must eat like someone who is 85 kilograms. That means more protein, carbohydrates, and good fats in your diet. And please remember, this is the MINIMUM. Remember that these meals need to be spread out over the entire day so that you are eating at least 5 meals a day and I suggest that you try to eat 7. The meals do not have to be large but they should be quality and fresh foods and as often as possible. Often I will have the biggest 3 protein meals for breakfast, immediately after training, and just before I go to sleep at night. These are the times when your body needs the quality protein the most.
The following are some quality meals and recipes that I have found on the internet or at local places that I highly suggest.
TGI FRIDAYS, Jack Daniels Chicken
250 grams chicken breast: 45 grams protein
Baked potato: 45 grams complex carbohydrates
Vegetables: 5-10 grams carbohydrates
Cilantro Lime Burgers
½ kilogram of ground-minced turkey or chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons of Lime juice
1 egg white
Chopped cilantro (use as much as you like)
Crushed red pepper flakes (sprinkle to taste)
some salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients...If it's too wet, grind up a little oatmeal and add
it to the mixture.
Grill, top with some cheddar cheese and some fresh salsa!
Hawaii Chicken
Take how ever many chicken breast that you want to cook and coat them with your favorite dry rub or seasoning.
Mix 1/2 cup of catalina salad dressing with 1/8 cup of barbeque sauce, 2 Tbsp of A-1 sauce, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Stir really well. Baste the mixture onto the chicken breast and toss them on the grill and cook to your liking.
Take several strips of turkey bacon, at least 2 per breast, and lay them on tin foil and punch some slits into the foil. Right after you pull the chicken off the grill, put the turkey bacon on. If its thinly sliced it will cook in under 5 minutes on the grill.
You will need to get pineapple rings, 2 per chicken breast, drained, and put them on the grill while the turkey bacon is cooking. Cook until the outside of the pineapple looks almost dry.
Just place a grilled pineapple ring on your plate, a grilled chicken breast on top, turkey bacon on top of the chicken, and top it with another grilled pineapple ring. You could even make it into a sandwich, or eat it as described above.
Anabolic Interview:
NOTE: This article and interview is for entertainment purposes only. We do not support or endorse any use of any illegal substances.
For safety reasons, we will just say that you are about 110 kilograms and less than 10% body fat, and live in a European country. Is that about correct?
Yes, sometimes I am as much as 115 kgs and as low as 102 kgs but it will depend on what my diet is like and what I am training for during that time.
What are your goals in your training?
I train mostly for strength with some bodybuilding style training mixed in. I love having a strong bench press and very strong shoulders. Also, I focus a lot on my conditioning so I keep a good diet as well as some treadmill training too.
Ok, lets get down to what we really wanted to discuss here. What kind of experience do you have with anabolics?
I began with a very simple cycle many years ago and I have always kept using the same types of anabolics. From what I can remember, my first cycle was 400 mg of Testosterone a week for 10 weeks. My gains were very good but I did not know anything really about my training and I did not keep a good diet so I did not look very good either. My body was very full with water and I lost some of my gains when I stopped.
Over time, what have you learned and changed?
Over the past 6 or 7 years I learned that using more did not mean that I would gain more. I also wasted some of my money using things that did not help me as much as it cost me. My diet and training also was a big key both when I was using anabolics and when I stopped.
What anabolics have you found that have always worked for you?
I mostly always will take a simple testosterone like enanthate, cypionate, or some really good Eastern Bloc Russian propionate. For the last few years I have had really good resources for Sustanon, it has been very cheap at times (about 1 Euro or less per 250mg ampoule). My body seems to grow very well on the Sustanon and I do not gain so much water or lose as much when I stop my cycle.
Do you use any oral tablets as well?
A couple of times a year I will use some dianabol to help me with some size and strength but I do not like to use very many tablets. They say that they can hurt your liver but my body responds so well to what I normally take that I hate to change it.
Ok, tell me what kind of doses that you normally use.
Normally I will use up to 750 or 1,000mg of testosterone, maybe 300-600 mg of a Nandrolone type, some dianabol as I said before, and last year I used Anadrol for the first time and loved it. It was not as bad as I had heard that it was for water and the skin, but I normally keep a very clean diet so maybe that was why I did not have problems. I will rotate things in and out through the year depending on what contests I am doing and how my body is feeling but I always take 3-5 months off every year.
Do most of the guys you know take a lot of time off?
Ha, ha! Most of my friends say that 500mg of testosterone, 300mg of nandrolone, and a little bit of winstrol is “off”. I hope that my choices will benefit my health later in my life though.
Have you ever used other things like Growth Hormone, IGF, insulin, etc…?
No. I would if I could afford them but the price is very high for me right now. I have heard rumors about the bad side effects from these things but I also know a lot of people who use them intelligently without any side effects. A lot of my friends say that they will use it when they stop using their anabolics.
Can you give us some ideas of what you have heard your friends taking when they are using their maximums?
Some very close friends have been honest with me as far as I know and they say that they will use 10 or more Sustanon a week (2,500mg of testosterone), 1,000 mg or more of nandrolone, 200-300mg of a tablet like anadrol, and then it depends on what else they are training for. If they are trying to get stronger they might use some trenbolone for several weeks before a contest.
Do you think that this much is really necessary for them?
Well, they have been using for a long time and most of them are 150-165 kgs (330-365 lbs) and amazingly strong.
What do you think about the bad side effects of anabolics and are they as dangerous as what we hear from the news?
If you do not know how to drive a car, driving a car can be very dangerous. I do not feel that they are COMPLETELY safe but I have had more direct side effects from “natural” products than from anabolics. Of course, if you take anything too far it can be very dangerous. Just be smart, listen, learn, start small, and understand what works for you. More is not always the better thing to do. Something else to think is that anytime you purchase an anabolic, think about how much food you could be buying with the same amount of money. Food is the key if you are using anabolics or not.
Thanks for your time and we look forward to speaking with you again
in the future
LA Muscle Shop Specials
75 C Omonia Avenue, Limassol Cyprus
99987972 - clint@cystrongman.com - Fax: 25662272
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October 2007 Specials:
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Training Videos!!!!!
As most people know, I have been fighting a battle with Ulcerative Colitis for over a year now and am slowly getting back to being my old self. I have went from around 130 kg down to 108 kg only a couple of months ago. So far I have made it back up to 125-128 kgs and I am improving every week. I give a lot of credit to my doctors, family, and my wife for this. Hopefully I can make a full come back next year on the Strongman scene and represent Cyprus both nationally and internationally!
To see some pictures and videos of my training you can always check the training forum at www.irontrybe.com or follow these links:
Iron Trybe Training Forum
Interested in writing an article, doing an interview, making a video, promoting your services or gym, or to do some Strongman Training in Cyprus?
Just give me a call or send me an email!!!
99987972 - clint@cystrongman.com