Meet UKBFF Champion Alex Platt

LA Muscle have teamed up with UKBFF champion Alex Platt for an exclusive Q&A with the man himself. Delve into the bodybuilding and fitness career of Alex and find out how he has become so successful in the industry and what makes him 'tick'......

QUESTION AND ANSWERS BELOW

What age did you start bodybuilding?
I started training at 15 when I got my first job in a gym, but I started competitive bodybuilding at 23.

What made you get into lifting weights?
I guess vanity! I wanted to look a certain way. I'd see people like Ryan Reynolds on movies and I'd read mens health a lot during my teens, I guess I wanted to look like those guys!

How many titles have you won?
I've won 2 titles. UKBFF North East and UKBFF East Midlands. I've also managed a 6th and a 4th place at the UKBFF British Finals.

What has been your greatest achievement in the sport?
That first 1st place trophy. What started as a hobby turned into something much more serious, so to be awarded that 1st place for the first time is incredible.

What's your best body part?
My Abs :)

What's your favourite body part to train?
LEGS! Without a doubt. It's disgustingly satisfying :)

What's your most dreaded body part to train?
Shoulders, because they're sooo weak.

How much do weigh off season mode?
Off season I'll sit somewhere around 15 stone.

How much do you weight on-season?
I last stepped on stage at exactly 14st. But I've been a couple of pounds either side of that. Men's physique isn't categorised by weight so I don't need to worry about it too much.

How many carbs and protein do you have off season?
Protein off season is somewhere between 220-250, carbs anywhere around 330-350.

How many times a week do you train?
To be honest most days. But that's not because I have to, it's because I enjoy it. I train on a weekday because it's my time to myself and time to de-stress, and I train on a weekend because I meet my mates to train. So I do some form of exercise most days. I genuinely love to exercise. But that said, I do listen to my body and have no problem having days off when I need them.

How many carbs and protein do you have on season?
My protein will sit a little higher, about 1.4g per lb of body weight. So around 270-280g. Carbs sit around 220-240 depending on how lean I am going into my prep.

What's the toughest thing about comp prepping?
The mental struggle! Thinking you've got excess fat, you're not going to be ready, you're too small, everyone's better than you, the list goes on. When you've been in a calorie deficit for a prolonged period, the mind plays crazy tricks on you!

Who is your favourite bodybuilder?
Frank Zane definitely - unbelievable proportions and aesthetics.

What supplements do you use on a lead up to a show?
LA Whey is an absolute staple! It goes in my oats every morning. I also use BCAAs during training both in the morning and on an evening. I keep a tub of LA Muscle Possessed in the bag for those real struggle days, and I use an L-carnitine supplement. So not a hugely excessive supplement stack. Just what I need and nothing more.

How much water do you drink on a normal day?
Around 4-5 L

How much water do you drink on a last week of a show?
The last week is tough. I water load on upwards of 8L

What's the first thing you eat after a show?
Whatever's in front of me! Literally whatever is put in front of me. Usually doughnuts ;)

What's your favourite food?
Pizza no questions.

What do you like doing outside of bodybuilding?
I'm a real 'you only live once' type of person. I tend to do whatever will make me and my friends and family happy at this very moment in time! Travel lots, eat good food, make great memories and laugh a lot! Sounds cheesy but you can't take life too serious and it flies by!

What's your favourite film?
That's a tough one - probably Goodfellas or American Psycho

What's your favourite book?
The Power Of Positive Thinking - by Norman Vincent Peale. Read it and you'll see why!

Who has inspired you to become a bodybuilder?
I'm not sure it was any one person. I think it was more that I just love the fitness industry, and feel like I could have something great to offer it.

What advice would you give anyone who wants to take up bodybuilding?
Just please, make a start! The time to start will never be perfect and your circumstances will never be ideal but you just have to find a motive and make a start. And if you do, you'll thank yourself you did.