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Thurso's McKenna aims to muscle in on bodybuilding crown


By Matt Leslie

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Bodybuilder Jason McKenna has been flexing his muscles this week in the hope he can power his way to the PCA Scottish title.

The Thurso man, an RPE operator at Dounreay, travels to Glasgow on Saturday to take part in his inaugural bodybuilding contest – having previously competed in the strongman sport.

He will be competing in the first-timers' event against other pectoral and quad-flexing debutants.

McKenna has been working hard at Thurso’s Naver Gym and – with the aid of a free supply of meat from his sponsor Castletown Butchers – he feels ready to go out and battle for the title instead of merely making up the numbers.

After all, success in Glasgow would see him being invited to the British championships later on this year to represent Scotland.

He said: “I’m not looking for any particular placement or to be there to ‘just take part’ – I’m in it to win it.

“I’ve put everything into this so I’ll be aiming to come out on top. I’ll be the only bodybuilder from Caithness competing so I hope I can do the county proud.

“It’s my first bodybuilding competition but I’ve experience in a similar field – the Strongman events.

“I started in those when I was 18 having been impressed by the feats of strength displayed by those who participated in strongman.

“That sport involved not just lifting weights but also pulling lorries and lifting up cars.

“I used to organise a few competitions in the county with my pal Kevin Macgregor who also competed.

“I made the switch to bodybuilding as that sport is more structured and scientific.

“Strongmen, while very powerful, don’t tend to be lean and there’s more of an injury risk.”

Preparing for a bodybuilding event is as far away from doing a few reps in the gym every day.

As McKenna reveals, a rigorous exercise and diet regime must be adhered to in order to compete with the best.

He added: “Obviously you have to work out at the gym on a regular basis but diet plays a big part.

“You have to take in an excess of calories to build up quality muscle mass and then time when you have to slowly restrict your calories as a competition draws near.

“An average day will have me up at six in the morning. Breakfast will be a bowl of porridge with peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder. Amounts vary if bulking up or trimming down ahead of competition.

“Then I will have four helpings every two hours of chicken served with rice, almonds and green beans.

“Another bowl of porridge will be eaten with a jam bagel ahead of going to the gym, and when I’m finished there I go home to cook a four-egg omelette.

“Repetition of having the same food all the time is not an issue. You can get past that if you really want to achieve what you want to in bodybuilding.”


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