Amateur Bodybuilder Of The Week: Bradley Burns With Brawn!

QHow did your bodybuilding journey begin?

I played soccer year-round growing up and was consistent in the gym while following a workout plan specifically for soccer. My family is fitness-oriented, so I was fortunate to have the resources I needed to learn how to train and diet. I began lifting with my dad who has lifted for many years and competed in powerlifting. I owe my progress and success in bodybuilding and fitness to him and the people he and I worked out with.

As a teen, I focused primarily on powerlifting and adding as much size and weight as possible. Focusing on compound movements helped me add weight and size quickly and made me much stronger. I made sure to take protein after my workouts but didn’t follow a specific diet. During my freshman year of high school, I started to seriously focus on bodybuilding, ate every 2-3 hours, and followed a bodybuilding training split.

I continued to focus on bodybuilding throughout high school and decided to compete at age 16. After putting on quality muscle for two years, I had a good base to diet from and began an 8-week prep for my first show. I gave up sports as a senior to focus on bodybuilding and competed several times since.

“Focusing on compound movements helped me add weight and size quickly and made me much stronger.”

What workout regimen delivered the best results?

I only focus on isolating the muscle with good form. I don’t care about weight. This keeps me healthy and provides great results. I believe that you can break down the muscle and see the same, if not better, results by training smart than trying to lift as heavy as possible. I prefer to train this way during contest prep to keep my heart rate up throughout the entire workout. It’s almost like another cardio session. Below is my training split and sample workout.

Incline Dumbbell Flyes
4 sets of 20, 14, 12, and 10 reps
Incline Bench Press
4 sets of 16, 12, 10, and 8 reps
Dumbbell Pull-Over
3 sets of 20, 16, and 10 reps
Cable Flye
4 sets of 30, 20, 10 and to failure

Assisted Pull-Up
4 sets of 20 reps
Wide-Grip Lat Pull-Down
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Dumbbell Row
3 sets of 16, 12, and 10 reps
Deadlift
3 sets of 16, 12, and 8 reps
Close-Grip Pull-Down
3 sets of 20, 20, and to failure

Superset

Decline Sit-Up
5 sets to failure
Hanging Leg Raise
5 sets to failure
Elliptical
30 minutes

Single-Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4 sets of 30, 20, 20, and 10 reps
Reverse Cable Flye
3 sets of 20, 16, and 12 reps
Front Dumbbell Raise
3 sets of 20, 16, and 12 reps
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3 sets of 20, 16, and 12 reps
Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
3 sets of 30, 20, and to failure
Barbell Shrug
4 sets of 20 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlift
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Leg Curl
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Seated Calf Raise
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps

Superset

Decline Sit-Up
5 sets to failure
Hanging Leg Raise
5 sets to failure
Elliptical
30 minutes

Barbell Curl
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Cable Push-Down
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Machine Preacher Curls
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Dumbbell Kickback
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Skull Crusher
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Concentration Curls
2 sets to failure
Single-Arm Cable Extension
2 sets to failure

Seated Leg Extension
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Squats
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps
Leg Press
3 sets of 20, 16, and 12 reps
Single-Leg Extension
3 sets to failure
Seated Calf Raise
4 sets of 20, 16, 12, and 10 reps

Amateurs Of The Week

Bodybuilding.com honors amateurs across all categories for their hard work, dedication, and great physiques. Learn how our featured amateurs built their bodies and hit their goals!

What nutrition plan fueled your body?

Regardless if I’m dieting or bulking, I always keep my protein high and eat every 2-3 hours. I like to carb cycle because it’s the best way to hold on to muscle while burning fat. This is my training day diet.

Eggs
3 eggs
Egg Whites
10 whites
Oats
1 cup

Chicken
8 ounces
Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon

Chicken
8 ounces
Oats
1 cup
Broccoli
1 cup

Optimum Pro Complex
50 grams
Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon

Optimum Pro Complex
50 grams
Gatorade
32 ounces

Chicken
8 ounces
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon
Broccoli
1 cup

Chicken
8 ounces

What supplements gave you the greatest gains?

Optimum Pro Complex
Optimum Essential AmiN.O. Energy

Optimum Pro Complex

“My passion for bodybuilding emerged from seeing the results of my hard work. I love to see the dramatic changes that happen to my body during contest prep.”

How did your passion for bodybuilding emerge?

My passion for bodybuilding emerged from seeing the results of my hard work. I love to see the dramatic changes that happen to my body during contest prep. After my first competition, I became passionate about the bodybuilding lifestyle.

What or who motivated you to be a bodybuilder?

My dad motivated me to pursue bodybuilding, introduced me to lifting, and taught me everything I know about training and dieting. I was lucky to have him as a resource at an early age. He continues to be a huge motivator today.

Where did you go for inspiration?

I have several resources for inspiration. I find it inspiring to see quality physiques in magazines, online videos, BodySpace, and Instagram. Most of my inspiration comes from the people I train with and those who support me.

“Be consistent with your training and diet. Results come on slow but are so worth it in the end!”

What are your future bodybuilding plans?

The last time I competed was at Teenage Nationals in 2009. I’m currently focused on fitness modeling and am contracted by Silver Model Management in New York City. I plan to focus primarily on modeling but will compete again this year.

What is the most important bodybuilding tip?

Be consistent with your training and diet. Results come on slow but are so worth it in the end!

Who is your favorite bodybuilder?

My favorite bodybuilder is Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m a fan of the old school aesthetic look. I think it’s awesome what he has done for bodybuilding. The industry wouldn’t be where it is today without him.

How did bodybuilding.com help you reach your goals?

Bodybuilding.com is a great resource to help me reach my goals. I love going on the site and reading as many articles as possible. There is so much quality information accessible to answer any questions I have. I really enjoy using BodySpace. It’s a great way to network with others in the fitness industry.