1) Who is Lawrence Judd? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I’m from the South East of England, but studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. Upon graduating, I switched to a career in the fitness industry where I am currently Operations Manager at Shredded By Science. I’m an avid reader (my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Walter Moers and Roald Dahl), have played the violin for over 20 years, and love animals.
2) How many years have you been training?
My dad first introduced me to a gym when I was 15/16. I took a few years off weight training when I was at university because I couldn’t afford a gym membership, but kept myself active via martial arts and other bodyweight exercises (including a stint of pole dancing - yes, the pictures are on Facebook). When I was about 21, I re-joined a gym and started gaining weight having hit a low of ~62 kg, but I would say that I have been training productively for about 2-3 years now.
3) Whats been the hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
I struggled a little with something akin to orthorexia whilst I was at university, which very nearly ended a long-term relationship I was in. The scientific approach to fitness helped me through that. Beyond that… I’ve been surprisingly lucky - I’ve picked up a couple of minor niggles here and there, but the biggest barrier to my own progress is my ability to over-think things. I’ve only recently learned to chill out on that front.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
My training typically revolves around training compound lifts 2-4 times per week using a daily undulation approach to my programming. Lift selection, set/rep/load schemes and my exact training frequency will change throughout the year but the general goal is to get stronger and remain healthy so I can still climb stairs and play with kids/grandkids if and when they come along.
5) What have you learned over the past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
Deliberately practising mindfulness has made a big difference to the way I approach life. Whether that’s meditation, journalling or just ensuring that I have some ‘me’ time most days, it’s allowed me to make a lot more of the ‘right’ decisions.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
I love most food, so it’s very hard to pin it down to just one. I do love a good burger, but then I’m also a huge fan of Italian food.
7) one supplement that you could not live without?
I don’t really use supplements other than whey protein. I tend to take my caffeine in coffee form, which is definitely something I wouldn’t want to live without, so… coffee?
8) If you had to start out from scratch with your physique what would you do differently and why?
I don’t think I can answer this question… the process I’ve been through has given me some very useful insights into various aspects of ‘fitness’. If I could go back and speak to myself 5 years ago, I’d definitely say that a focus on what you can do, not what you look like, is much more important. Far too many people focus on an arbitrary aesthetic ideal which, in reality, means nothing.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
Luke Johnson, who happens to be my boss and the owner of SBS. He’s taught me an unbelievable amount and has put a huge amount of faith in me and my abilities. I am hugely grateful to him as a mentor, an older-brother figure and just an all-round legend of a human. I also have learnt a huge amount from the 3DMJ team, and Dr Mike Zourdos. I think they are incredible examples of how to maintain integrity and humility whilst being authorities in the fitness industry.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
I’m going to give 3.
1) Comparison is the thief of joy.
2) Control only what you can control. The rest will fall into place.
3) Take pride in what you can do.
11) What new goals are on the horizon? (new goals, aims, etc)
Fitness-wise, I’m not sure. I think that my main aims are consistency, and approaching weight training as a skill and a habit rather than a means to an end.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Our website: shreddedbyscience.com
Our podcast: shreddedbyscience.com/podcast Instagram: @shredbyscience
Facebook: facebook.com/shredbyscience
