Bodybuilder James Hollingshead is a modern-day mass monster and plans to weaponize his muscularity and size when he enters his next show. In a recent interview with Dennis James on The Menace Podcast, Hollingshead laid out the blueprint for his 2022 Mr. Olympia prep, discussed his diet, and talked about the meteoric rise of Nick Walker.
You can check out the full video below, courtesy of Muscle & Fitness‘ YouTube channel:
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Hollingshead’s breakout year in the sport came in 2020. He took his massive physique to the Europa Pro Championships, winning first place. The Men’s Open competitor followed up the success by competing at the 2020 British Grand Prix and won the show handily. This performance earned Hollingshead a qualification to compete at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
Last year saw Hollingshead storm Mr. Olympia eager for a statement-making performance. However, he struggled to find his footing on stage and was tasked with facing some of the world’s best bodybuilders — two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, former Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, and 2021 Arnold Classic champion Nick Walker. Despite his shocking size, Hollingshead landed in 12th place, respectively. After setting time aside to improve his overall package, “The Shed” is determined to make up for his performance last year.
At the time this article was written, Hollingshead is not currently qualified for the 2022 Mr. O, according to the Olympia’s website.
Hollingshead Shares Current Weight, Discusses Off-season Prep
Featured in a YouTube video, Hollingshead and Dennis James discussed his current weight of 296-pounds and some of the troubles he’s encountered while weighing 310-pounds or more.
“The conditioning that you are in man, you look like you pre-contest,” James told Hollingshead. “So your 296-pounds would be for others, a real off-season weight of like 310-pounds.”
Hollingshead is sitting around 296-pounds at 5’11” but revealed his plan of trying to stay conditioned at the 275-280-pound mark.
“I think I could be in shape at 275-pounds, 280-pounds. I just need to get there and somehow get the fat off me. This year is about trying to do that,” Hollingshead said. “I’m 296-pounds now and I can go for a jog right now.”
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However, packing on that much mass hasn’t been an easy journey for the UK-based bodybuilder. After reaching 310-pounds earlier this year, Hollingshead admits to having issues with stomach distension and sleep cycles.
“I felt very distended, felt very heavy. I Didn’t really sleep too well. So that’s why I decided to pull back to this weight (280-pounds),” Hollingshead said. “I thought if I can float around here, you can still make a lot of progress with the food we are ingesting at the minute. My biggest mistake in the past is I get to a weight and don’t hold it very long. I don’t materialize the muscle like I should.”
Hollingshead’s Diet: “I’m Very Happy With Five Meals At The Minute”
According to Hollingshead, his diet of five meals a day is ideal as he hasn’t noticed any type of drop-off in quality during his training sessions. He mentioned that he is ingesting around 650 grams of carbohydrates a day.
“Yeah, that’s the only thing that changed from when I was 310-pounds to this weight now” Hollingshead said. “I was literally like, let’s take one meal off and give my stomach a rest and see how we respond. Literally, all it’s done is tighten me up a little bit. I’m still performing the same in the gym so I’ m very happy sitting at five meals at the minute.”
Hollingshead plans to take his physique to Mr. Olympia this year for the second time. The Men’s Open competitor is confident that he’s committing the proper effort to diet and training in preparation for the potential show.
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“I can’t make it happen faster than it’s already happening,” Hollingshead said. “I’m hoping since the Olympia till now, I’ve been able to at least take myself a step beyond what last year presented. Then we’ll see. I feel confident I have. Some days are good days, some days are bad days.”
Hollingshead on Nick Walker
After facing 2021 Arnold Classic winner Nick Walker at last year’s Mr. Olympia contest, Hollingshead was taken aback by the 27-year-old’s commitment to improving in the sport.
“That guy doesn’t miss a beat,” Hollingshead says. “He’s one of the most regimented people…I just feel like he’s very much…the way that he represents bodybuilding, he is the ideal bodybuilder. I don’t think he misses a beat. I don’t think he misses a meal. I don’t think he misses a cardio session, he’s truly devoted himself to this. He wants one thing. He wants to win the Olympia. He wants to win the Olympia and he’s fighting for it.”
After a 12th place showing in the Men’s Open division at Olympia last year, Hollingshead plans to come back to the stage with conditioning that can’t be denied.
Given the crop of talent expected to perform at the biggest show of the year, Hollingshead is making the most of his time away from the competition. Laying out the plan for 2022 Mr. Olympia, Hollingshead trusts that dedication to his diet and training will guide him to success.
Featured Image: @hollingshead89 on Instagram
