Live Like Mike PT

darren came to me wanting to compete in classic bodybuilding.

Darren Whitby was missing size, not discipline. so what did we do?

we built before we cut. calorie surplus with mini diet phases. based on what darren enjoyed and we knew digested well to maintain his waist. so how did we train?

we trained for the division, classic. symmetry. shape. size, in the areas we needed to create the classic taper. we added quality, and made every kilo he was allowed look like four on stage.

motivation still came and went. progress is never linear. but that’s when the team shows up.

swipe for the full breakdown, including everything he eats in a day.

stop relying on motivation… and stop following a plan that was never written for you.

im taking on 5 comp prep clients for 2027. tag a mate competing below.

dm ‘PREP’ to start the convo about your next prep.

undefeated. never lose.
bodybuilding forever.

things we respect.

iykyk. 🙃

comment something you respect 👇🏽

undefeated. never lose.

fasted cardio is way better than any other form of cardio.

*for fat loss.

if you’re not doing your cardio fasted... then you aren’t burning fat, you’re burning breakfast.

eight hours without food puts insulin at its lowest point of the day.
that’s not a wellness claim, it’s just what happens overnight. glycogen drops, insulin drops with it, and your body stops guarding the fat it’s storing.

so an easy 40 minutes gets paid for out of body fat.
low insulin means fat release isn’t blunted. the work doesn’t change. the tank it comes out of does.

yes, the total calories burned come out about the same.
somebody will say this and they’re right. across 24 hours it balances out. but total burn was never the reason to do it, so agree with them and move on.

the real reason is what your food is then free to do.
if you eat first, part of that meal goes into covering a walk. do it fasted and the same food arrives with a better job in front of it. protein does repair. carbs land before your lift where they raise output. fats support hormones. past 35 that matters more than the calorie argument.

and no, you don’t need to copy your elite 15 athlete.
when a top hyrox competitor tells you to fuel every session, that’s correct advice for their goal. their job is faster splits and a bigger engine, here a full sugar red bull and a maple gel earn their place in it. your job is less body fat and feeling better. more confident in your clothes. better health in your 40s and 50s. same assault bike, different job. the advice doesn’t transfer just because the athlete is impressive.

40 minutes. zone 2, easy enough to talk. black coffee and water only. protein inside the hour following. never in front of a heavy leg day.

i’ve built the 5 week system for busy people over 35 with fat loss as their goal... without adding hours to the week. comment ‘FASTED’ and i’ll send it over.

undefeated. never lose.
coach.

ten underrated leg building tools. all of them free.

taking sets to failure. most people finish with three or four reps still in the tank and call it hard. legs respond to proximity to failure. not every set, but your last working set on each movement should be a genuine fight.

lengthened range. the stretched position is where the growth stimulus lives. deficit split squats, seated leg curls, full depth on your press. half reps build half legs.

slower tempos. three second negative, one second pause, drive out fast. you will need less weight and you will grow more. ego is the tax you pay for skipping this one.

calorie surplus. quads and glutes are the largest muscles you own. you cannot build them out of a deficit and hope. if you want size, eat like you want size.

mobility before and after. ankles and hips decide how much load your legs actually receive and save your knees. ten minutes of prep gets you into positions you have been avoiding for years without realising it.

warm up rounds. not one token set. ramping properly means your first working set is your best working set instead of your worst.

be hydrated. muscle is mostly water. and water transports glycogen into the muscle. being slightly down on fluid is enough to cost you reps, output and recovery. it is the cheapest performance gain available.

sleep enough. training is the request. sleep is where the body says yes. five hours a night and you are asking for an adaptation you never gave your body the resources to make.

cardio for endurance. better work capacity means your last round looks like your first. most people do not fail leg day because their legs are weak. they fail because they gassed out halfway through.

tr3n. joke. obviously. if everything above is not in place, nothing else is worth discussing.

none of this is complicated and none of it costs anything. the hard part was never access to the information. it is being consistent enough, for long enough, to actually see the growth.

i put together a free five week guide for anyone over thirty five who wants bigger, stronger legs without wrecking their knees or their week.

comment leg day and i will send you your copy.

undefeated.

people who think you’re lazy don’t see the schedule. if it’s not planned, it doesn’t get done.

you’re busy working with responsibilities to your closest ones and you’re calendar gets filled up without you ever realising.

3-4 days a week, scheduled like meetings, the training plan ready for you, organised.

comment TIME and I’ll send you the guide I created for free.

undefeated. never lose.

the 5 mistakes everyone makes after they have just raced?

the next ten days matter more than the last twelve weeks.

if you raced Perth last weekend, congratulations. that was a peak. you spent months building toward it and you delivered.

now here’s where most people quietly undo it…

they’re back in the gym on Monday. full volume, full intensity, chasing the number they didn’t hit.
they’re scrolling the leaderboard comparing their roxzone to an elite 15 athlete.
they bin the weights because their run splits faded, then wonder why they’re weaker in december.
or they swing the other way and take three weeks completely off… and lose more than what they started with.

every one of those costs you fitness you already paid for.

you don’t peak twice. and if you try, you’ll ruin the peak that actually matters.

melbourne hyrox is 9th december. that’s rouNomelbourne hyrox is 9th decemberraceild a genuine base, and far too long to waste the first two of them digging a hole you will be climbing out of for the next 10 weeks…

what I do with my athletes instead:

VOLUME & LOAD BACK TO BASELINE.
TEMPO OVER THRESHOLD PACE.
EASY DAYS ARE VERY EASY.
EAT AT MAINTENANCE, NOT CELEBRATION.
REBUILD FROM STRENGTH BEFORE SPEED.
STRUCTURE NEXT BLOCK BY COUNTING BACK FROM THE NEXT RACE.

K came to me six months ago. since then, a podium finish and a twenty minute PB.

not because she got lucky on the sleds. because she followed the plan and recovered properly.

i’ve created a free guide on how to structure your post race week to protect your fitness and avoid burnout.

comment ‘REBOUND’ and I’ll send it over free.

undefeated. never lose.
run fast. lift heavy. break records.

PS. if you’re chasing a time at melbourne and you’re not sure what the next fifteen weeks should look like, that’s exactly what I do… drop me a DM and tell me what you raced and what you want to run next time round the circuit.

journey centric.
people focused.
reframe your thoughts and never fkn give up.

we get to do this s**t.

undefeated. mindset.
never lose.

did someone say r3ta? 🙃🤷🏽‍♂️

but srs, the 10 most effective fat loss tools on the planet are all free.

you complicate it because you complications lead to excuses.

excuses give you a story to tell yourself and others as to why you can’t lose that last 5kg or drop the winter weight…

“I can’t afford the right supplements.”

“I don’t have the right equipment.”

“I wouldn’t be this way if my hormones were normal.”

“I don’t have their genetics.”

“I haven’t found the right programme yet.”

let’s say that’s all true, I get it. sometimes it seems so hard. but what if we just focused on the basics?

lift heavy 3-4x weekly.

eat protein first at every meal.

drink more water.

prioritise rest and easy days.

take the stairs or park further away.

get some sunlight every day.

schedule sleep and prioritise sleep hygiene.

do it again tomorrow, even if you don’t feel like it.

repeatable. simple. effective. proven.

i created a FREE guide on how anyone over 35 lose more fat while keeping muscle in the next 5 weeks…

follow me and comment “FAT LOSS” and I’ll send it to you for free.

undefeated. never lose.

ps - If you’re busy and over 35 and want to... 
 
✅ lose 2-5kg in the next month (and keep it off…)
✅ get strong and build real muscle that sticks
✅ reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease & stroke
✅ develop lifelong habits & skills so staying healthy is easy
✅ rebuild your confidence & self-esteem to feel like you again
 
i personally GUARANTEE you’ll hit your fat loss goal and build more muscle OR ill return your money in full.
 
follow me, then comment “INFO” to find out more…

if you don’t want to comment, just DM me “INFO” instead and start a conversation about your goals