IFBB Pro Jake Phippen Talks With ABFITT

 IFBB Pro Jake Phippen, 2013 Sacramento Pro, Masters IFBB 35+ Mens physique winner. Takes time out to discuss life after his first pro win, training, nutrition and his future plans.
 

NAME: Jake Phippen        
AGE: 36
Years competing: 1 1/2yrs
Interesting fact: I've competed in contact sports for over 30yrs of my life.
Sponsors: Anytime Fitness, Salt Lake City, Utah and Nutraspire.com
 

ABFITT: Jake congratulations on your first Pro MPD win a few weeks back at the Sacramento pro. What have the days been like following your win? 

Jake Phippen: Thank You! The days after the show have been a bit crazy. This is my 3rd interview and have been contacted by numerous competitors for contest prep and potential new personal training clients. Also, I was on a mandatory break from structured eating or working out which was driving me nuts. Although I was able to indulge in some foods I normally don't eat while getting ready to get on stage. Overall relaxing and stress free.

ABFITT: Jake can you give us your MPD background and talk about your favorite show or win.

Jake Phippen: -2012 NPC Utah State Championships (June 2012) 1st open div, Overall winner Open div, 1st Natural div, Overall winner Natural Div

-2012 NPC USA National Championships 15th place C-class

-2012 Muscle and Fitness Male Model Search top 10 (held during the Olympia Expo)

-2012 NPC National Championships 5th place C-class

-2012 Muscle Contest Excalibur 3rd Masters 35+, 4th open C-class

-2013 NPC Utah State Championships (June 2013) 2nd place open A-class

-2013 NPC USA National Championships 3rd place C-class

-2013 IFBB North American Championships 1st place Masters 35+ B-class, 5th place Open B-class

-2013 IFBB Sacramento Pro 1st place Masters 35+

It's hard to pick a favorite show or win but 2 stick out in my head. My very first show I had no clue what I was doing. I had to figure out how to pose by watching youtube videos and looking at pictures of other competitors. I was extremely nervous and had no idea what to expect until I walked out on stage and a 'sudden calm' came over me. Everything was a bit of a blur but I presented myself good enough to take home 4 trophies. I was completely lost for words and couldn't believe I had just stood on stage willingly to be judged on my physique and won. This sparked my competative edge and I knew this was what I wanted to pursue. The other win was at the Sacramento Pro. I wasn't sure if I had what it took to really be a competitor at the Pro level. My goal for the show was to just not finish last. Things went well that night for me winning my first Pro show and giving me the confidence that I can be a competitor at this level. I'm more motivated now to take this journey as far as my body will let me.

ABFITT:  Take us through your contest prep, how far out to you start and what is your main focus when planning a prep? Can you give our readers an example of a day of contest prep meal planning. (of course we dont want you to give away any prep secrets).....

JAKE PHIPPEN: I typically like 10-12wks to be fully prepped for a show. This gives me enough time to bring my body fat down slow and sustain muscle mass without having to play catch up 1-2wks out. Taking it slow will also gives me a healthier look and allow for small adjustments to dial me in. I prefer to do a mixture of heavy lifting and supersets. I will also add in some cardio depending on how I'm progressing. When planning my prep I always take judges critiques and study contest pics from my previous show to make improvements to my physique and stage presents. Then I adjust my workouts to fill in weak spots and start posing everyday first thing in the morning. The best way to describe how I train is I lift like a bodybuilder and condition like an athlete. In other words lift heavy and condition with sprints. Meal planning is pretty simple. I take my daily macros and divide it up fairly even for 6 meals. I never deplete myself of carbs, sodium, or water. My carbs are rotated,  I measure 3000mg of sea salt daily, and drink 8-10liters of water. I do this up to the day before I step on stage. Doing this gives your muscles a full look and not stringy and flat.


ABFITT: How does your contest prep training differ from your off season training and whats your take on steady state cardio versus HIIT or HIT?

JAKE PHIPPEN: In season prep consists of more target training, decreased caloric intake, and an increase frequency of cardio. My lifting is still heavy but I don't go full out. I try to keep a few reps in the tank. Cardio is determined by the progress of lifting and diet. If I need to tighten up more then the cardio is increased and vise versa if I'm dropping pretty quick. In the off season my caloric intake increases, cardio is cut to a minimum, and I try to increase maxes on core lifts. By doing this it helps build the muscle that was burnt off while competing and help restore hormone levels back to normal. Along with the heavy lifting I will implement high reps to bring blood flow into those fibers for expansion and recovery. Cardio is very basic either incline walking or 20min HIIT.

  I feel steady state cardio and HIIT are equally important while prepping for a show. Your body needs the high intensity for that conditioned look but also needs to be able to recover while still burning body fat which the steady state helps with. I believe that you need to limit your steady state cardio to about 45-60min to avoid overtraining and burning muscle. Moderation is key. 

ABFITT: So whats next Jake? What are your future plans now that your first pro win is under your belt? Any thoughts on the Olympia in 2014?

JAKE PHIPPEN: I am planning on doing one of the first shows of 2014. Not sure as to which one yet. It will depend on how I'm looking and if I need more time to build my best physique to be a real competitor. The ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympia and that's what I'm striving for. If I don't accumulate enough points or win a show to qualify in 2014 I will continue to improve and work towards that goal.

ABFITT: What advice would you give guys thinking about competing in MPD?


JAKE PHIPPEN: Once you've decided to compete have fun, keep your eye on the prize, and give 110% until the shows over. If you hire a coach make sure they put your health first and comp second. This will allow for a long term career and you will enjoy the whole process.


ABFITT: How can ABFITT readers follow you and your MPD career?

JAKE PHIPPEN: Facebook: IFBB Pro Jake Phippen, Twitter and Instagram: IFBB_jphippen

ABFITT: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with ABFITT and I wish you continued success.

  

JASON BALL PHOTOGRAPHY: ALL PHOTO CREDITS

Conditioning For Fighters.....

There are several general concepts, which helped to shape the specific program. First, the work profile of boxing is repeated 3-minute rounds of activity, often with very high intensity bursts within a round. The rounds are separated by one-minute rest intervals. Thus, the relative contribution of anaerobic energy release pathways is considered extremely important, with aerobic capacity playing an important role in terms of facilitating rapid recovery. Extreme conditioning is required to fight effectively for ten intense, 3-minute rounds and anaerobic endurance is a key aspect that cannot be overlooked.

Short of an early round knockout, boxers cannot afford to win only the early rounds of a fight. They must maintain an intense, but measured pace throughout a long and competitive bout. So conditioning counts almost as much as skill for boxing success. Optimal physical conditioning provides the platform from which the skills can be used. The best way to simulate the demands of boxing is to use conditioning methods, which mimic the work/rest ratio and integrated bursts of power that typify boxing. I continue to use "suicides" and different versions of my H.I.G.T program to keep my fighters as well as my clients in peak physical condition.

Boxing is a highly individual sport. Fighters possess unique styles that create specific physical demands. Some rely on explosive strength ("power"), for others it's starting strength ("speed"), and for most a combination of the two ("speed-strength"). True champions change their style in a way that will make them more able to attack the weaknesses of any given opponent. Improvements in specific capacities can be made, but they are only helpful if integrated into the fighter's style. For example, extensive footwork exercises may not benefit the power puncher who fights stationary and looks to deliver a blow that starts with the legs and drives right through the opponent, and wins that way. Similarly, a fighter who relies on punching speed and fast footwork should not put all his training hours into heavy bag work and muscle mass development. So, the program designed must not only be specific to boxing, but also specific to the boxer.

Ideally, the boxing punch consists of synchronization between arm, leg, and trunk actions. The punching movement of a boxer consists of leg extension, trunk rotation, and arm extension, in succession. The more effective the coordination between arms, legs and trunk movements are the greatest and the impact force of a punch. The leg muscles play a vital role in the power developed in this sequence. Increasing leg force development and coordinating it with trunk and arm action is probably the most effective way to increase punching power.

Because boxing is an explosive sport, ballistic training methods are especially effective during weight training for boxing. This kind of training method requires the athlete to perform each repetition explosively, with maximal intended velocity. Finally, in my view, the best way to weight train for competitive boxing is via a cycled training schedule. This type of training schedule integrates workouts and exercises that will meet all the basic performance demands of boxing, strength, power, speed, agility, and strength endurance.