At 64, Mick Shaw refuses to let his age define him. A factory manager from the Midlands, Shaw is incredibly ripped and currently preparing to compete in the Over 60s category at the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) Finals on October 10.
His coach and nutritionist John Clarke is documenting Shaw’s progress in the lead-up to the competition, highlighting the exact approach he’s using to try and make Shaw as lean as possible while preserving as much muscle size and definition as he can.
The pair first started working together a couple of years ago, when Shaw simply wanted to get fitter after becoming increasingly sedentary and suffering two heart attacks in 2020. Shaw never intended to pack on so much muscle and get ripped – but here he is, living the disciplined life of a bodybuilder.
Physically Transformed
‘Twenty-seven days out, eight pounds lighter than he was at his British Over 60s Bodybuilding qualifier,’ Clarke wrote on Instagram. ‘Good place. Still a bit to come off the lower back and glutes. Not the finished article. Not meant to be yet. One minute he tells me he’s flat. Next minute he thinks he looks great. Then he’ll ask if we should add extra cardio because the scales haven’t moved.
‘That’s not Mick being difficult. That’s what prep does to your head. We all do it. My job is to stay steady so he doesn’t have to. You can’t take the scales on stage. It’s visual. So the obvious move, more cardio and less food because a number stalled, is the wrong one. As his coach, I’m looking at glycogen, fullness, recovery, digestion, how he’s training, and where he’s actually still holding fat. Not one number on its own.
‘Push too hard from here and you get lighter and look worse. Chest flattens, delts empty, back loses width, training falls apart. So yesterday I pulled his output back and put food in. Steak and chips. Oats, honey and granola. Not a treat. I wanted to see how he filled out.’
Clarke explained that manipulating calorie intake is essential for creating a defined physique without limiting the potential size of the muscle. That’s why focusing on the source of calories is also just as important.
‘Carbs get used properly from here,’ Clarke wrote. ‘Up when I want performance back. Down when I want the deficit working. Not the same every day. Mick is 64, which changes how I run all of it. Recovery’s slower. Sleep matters more. Joints matter more. If it ever came down to better condition or his health, that’s not a choice. Health wins.’
The Importance of Nutrition
In the past few years, Shaw has undergone a physical transformation. The 64-year-old has previously credited nutrition as a crucial factor in his success.
‘Unhealthy habits had set in, which caused the weight to pile on,’ he told the i. ‘I realised I needed to do something. I wanted to be around for my family. [Nutrition] was 85% of the solution. I used to be a big snacker, eating crisps and chocolate from mid-morning to dinner. I needed someone to educate me and give me healthy swaps. I switched to high-protein whole foods such as fruit, yoghurt, berries, eggs, low-fat beef and chicken. It was not just about eating salad. The impact of the nutrition side of the plan was massive.’
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