Hench Supplements director lives up to name after placing second in first body-building contest

The company director of a Rochdale fitness store has placed second in his first-ever body-building contest.

Mohammed 'Raj' Hussain, who runs Hench Supplements at Heybrook Mill on Hamer Lane, competed in the PCA Lancashire competition at Middleton Arena on Sunday 3 April, where he placed an impressive second in the ‘men’s physique short’ category.

He said: “I decided to take part because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do but never got round to doing as it requires a lot of dedication physically and mentally.

“After lockdown last year I let myself go and knew something had to be done because I don’t feel as confident at my shop helping clients when I’m not in shape myself.

“Having a deadline to work towards helps you stay motivated.”

Raj started his plan for the show on 13 January, losing 23lbs of fat in the 11 weeks and 3 days until the contest. Enlisting the help of an experienced body-building coach, Raj knuckled down on tracking his calories and macronutrients, with his wife helping to cook, weigh and prep his meals.

Eating five meals a day every three hours, Raj also drank a minimum of 4.4 litres of water a day, increasing this to six in the final week.

“I maintained the majority of my body’s muscle mass. I didn’t do much cardio at all apart from walking, and I went to the gym for weight training four evenings a week,” he added.

 

 

Whilst going from “fat to fit” only took around four-six weeks, Raj says the hardest part was going from “fit to stage-ready.”

He continued: “I think anybody can achieve similar results if they fully dedicate to it, however getting from fit to stage ready took up half of the plan and got harder each week and definitely isn’t for everybody!

“I had to make a lot of sacrifices, work really hard while still running my businesses, cooking, doing chores and spending time with family. It was very mentally draining but I felt was worth it.

“After stepping on stage, I felt proud of what I had achieved and I would definitely go through it all again.”

Raj’s second place win means he has also received invitations to the PCA British finals and the PCA Universe competition, but he doubts he will compete.

“It was an honour to receive these invitations on my very first show,” he said, “but I doubt I will take part in these because I need to spend time focusing more on work and family now.

“For almost three months, my life revolved around cooking, eating, training and preparing for the show, and every other area was being neglected.”

He added: “I do however have my heart set on doing this all again but coming in much better shape, possibly next year sometime.”