When you’re a professional athlete it’s your job to be in incredible shape.
Nobody knows this more than young Saracens star Maro Itoje who has developed into a dynamic and athletic forward at the London club.
One of the country’s most promising talents, his hard work was rewarded with a call up to senior England team for the Six Nations.
The 21-year-old is a machine. But it’s worth remembering he has a team of strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists around him to help develop him into an elite athlete.
Maro’s older brother Jeremy doesn’t have the luxury of a full team of fitness professionals around him to hone him into elite athlete shape.
The 22-year-old, who has tried different drastic diets and then rebounded, suffered with weight issues since childhood which have always plagued him.
But now the Londoner, who studies conflict management at Loughbrough University, is eight weeks into a body transformation with Royal Marine Rich McKeating to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust on the gruelling six-month Trip to Ripped challenge.
So far the results have been incredible – and Jeremy spoke to JOE about how Rich’s ‘Lean Gains’ programme is changing his whole physique.
What spurred you to take this challenge on?
I played rugby ever since I was little, but the gym element is a change for me. I played rugby, basketball and a bit of athletics – I threw shot putt – I’ve always been a sporty guy.
But I wanted to change the shape of my body and get more fit and healthy and doing it for the Teenage Cancer Trust it was a really good opportunity to raise money for them.
My friend’s mother has cancer at the moment. She is battling that now. Obviously this money won’t go to help her, but anything that helps the fight against cancer is a good cause.
Had you ever tried to weight train or diet before?
Yes I had tried to diet for a couple of weeks before and then sacked it off. I have tried going to the gym regularly but after a while it sort of falls by the wayside.
The diets were hard to stick to and I hadn’t done anything that really worked. But so far on this programme I’ve lost 8kg already. It’s going really well.
What does your programme look like?
First of all with the nutrition stuff he’s got us on a specific calorie intake for each person. I’m eating five meals a day – smaller meals – with no more than 2,500 calories in a day.
Then workout-wise we have to get in two cardio sessions a week and then we’re in the gym four times a week.
Our workouts are full body. We have two different workouts that we do on alternate days. But this is going to change to hitting individual body parts.
We’ve been doing big lifts like squats, deadlifts, chest press, lunges, barbell rows. Big lifts.
They’re pretty long and intense workouts, but at the end of it you do feel really satisfied once you’ve done them.
We track our progress and then we meet up at Rich’s gym in Hull every few weeks.
What is the diet side like for you?
It was hard for me at first. We had to measure and weigh all our food and pre prepare it. But after a few weeks, once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Before I did this was never eating loads of junk food. But I’m from African descent and my parents used to make us loads of carbs and rice cooked in oils.
Now I have cut out a lot of things like white carbs – so no white rice or white bread. I’m eating brown rice. I use coconut oil to cook. I eat avocados quite a bit as a good source of fats.
Through the day, because we’re losing weight, I have two high fat, high protein, zero carb meals.
Then you have three meals with carbs, fats and proteins. I’m eating rice, chicken and a good amount of veg there.
What are the results like so far?
I took up boxing around the same time as this programme and it has made a world of difference. I’m having my first amateur fight and this programme has been brilliant for my conditioning, getting me fit and helping me perform.
I played rugby for Loughbrough and the games I’ve played so far since this, I’ve been a lot quicker, faster and stronger.
We track our progress and each time we go into the gym we go in and beat our last PBs and strive to improve and push it up a bit.
Have you learned some new things about how you body works and how to train?
Most people think – and I thought – that if you wanted to lose weight and get ripped then you should stop eating and starve yourself and then workout at the same time.
But Rich has taught us that that’s not the right way to do it. It’s definitely not a sustainable way to do it.
I’ve learned a lot.
Do you chat to your brother about training?
He’s at a bit higher standard than we’re at at the moment. But I speak to him about it and he’s really interested. He’s seen the difference in me as well in physical appearance. He’s really supportive.
What’s the ultimate goal from this?
At the end of the process we’re having a photoshoot so I just want to be in the best possible shape. Having a six pack wouldn’t be a bad thing. But just being able to maintain that healthy lifestyle would be the main goal.
Right now in the programme we’re not drinking at all, so I’m going to have to bring that back in a little bit.
All my uni friends are still drinking, but I’m just having orange juice.
People can spur Jeremy and the other guys on by texting TRIP75 to 70070 and all proceeds go to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The Trip to Ripped team are also still looking for a compnay sponsor for the training, photoshoots and 2017 charity calenders – contact Richard@McKeating.org for details.
