Who Is Nathan De Asha?
Nathan De Asha is a sponsored athlete from Liverpool, England who competes as a professional bodybuilder in the IFBB.
He competed at Mr. Olympia and won two professional events after making his professional debut in 2016.
Short Career Of Nathan De Asha
Nathan De Asha was up in an impoverished neighborhood of Liverpool where his single mother’s parents had a difficult time making ends meet. As a result, he decided to become a household name in the fitness industry and provide a better life for his family.
Nathan was successful in obtaining his pro card at the 2014 British Championships after winning several regional and national amateur contests.
He has since become a major player in the professional scene, participating at Mr. Olympia and gaining a following on social media. Here is Nathan’s account:
Body Measurements of Nathan De Asha
| Full Name: | Nathan De Asha |
| WEIGHT: | 245–255 athlete (111.1–115.7 kg) |
| ERA: | 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Sponsored Athlete |
| NATIONALITY: | British |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 2006 NABBA Mr. Northwest, 1st
- 2006 NABBA Mr. Britain, 3rd
- 2006 NABBA Mr. Universe, 3rd
- 2007 NABBA Mr. Northwest, 1st
- 2007 NABBA Mr. Universe, 4th
- 2007 NABBA Mr. Europe, 1st
- 2007 NABBA Mr. Universe, 1st
- 2007 UKBFF British Championships, 1st
- 2010 UKBFF British Championships, 1st
- 2014 British Championships, 1st, 1st (overall)
- 2016 IFBB BodyPower Pro, 2nd
- Also, 2016 IFBB Toronto Pro, 1st
- 2016 IFBB New York Pro, 7th
- 2016 IFBB California Pro, 2nd
- Also, 2016 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 12th
- 2016 IFBB Kuwait Pro, 6th
- 2016 IFBB Lou Ferrigno Legacy, 1st
Biography
Young Years
Nathan was reared in an underprivileged neighborhood of Liverpool, England. He was reared by an unmarried mother who depended on government assistance and had trouble making ends meet.
There weren’t many possibilities in life for us there, he claims. You could either do sports or hang out on the streets and get money anyhow you could because the schools weren’t very good.
Fortunately, Nathan was a superb soccer player, and he spent ten years playing semi-pro for a neighborhood team. In the years that followed, he switched to the sport of rowing.
For a while, he played on the same squad as Olympic gold medalist Sir Steven Redgrave and enjoyed the game.
Learning about Bodybuilding
When Nathan was 18 years old, he participated in his first weight training session. He claims he wanted to gain weight to assist his soccer career, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it.
He was told of a neighborhood “backstreet gym,” but when he went, the big males “intimidated him,” according to him.
Nathan found it intimidating at first, but he enjoyed using the different free weights and strengthening his physique. Around this time, he also began to purchase several books on bodybuilding.
He particularly liked reading a Joe Weider book that described the fundamental bodybuilding movements.
As he gained knowledge of the fundamentals, he started to develop a superb diet that complemented his exercise program and had speedy results.
His “clothing was fitting tighter on Saturday nights,” he claims, was the first change he observed. In total, throughout his first 15 months of training, Nathan added 45 pounds of muscular mass.
Getting Competitive
Although Nathan was enjoying his workouts and the way his body was transforming, he originally didn’t see bodybuilding as a legitimate sport. He claimed that all bodybuilders did was “put on these small trunks and paint on a fake tan.”
Nathan was persuaded otherwise by his friend and well-known rival in Liverpool, Darren Smith.
He emphasized that the shows were a bodybuilder’s true test, and the competition stage was the only place where the muscles could be accurately assessed.
Nathan was persuaded by this discussion to give a local NABBA performance a try. He was 21 years old at the time, anxious, and stepping outside of his comfort zone onto the stage. Nevertheless, he was able to triumph in the competition, and “greatly surprise himself.”
Nathan was ultimately inspired to participate in other events by the confidence he had gained from winning this one.
He ultimately took home the Mr. Universe and Mr. Europe crowns from NABBA, along with the junior crown from the British Championships. At this time, he also started his studies for a degree in sports science to use the information gained to launch a career in the fitness sector.
Getting Arrested
At this point, Nathan was thoroughly committed to a bodybuilding career and was loving his degree. He was close to pursuing his professional card because he was aware of his professional-level body. But sadly, things started to go south in his life.
In 2011, there were riots in Liverpool, and Nathan took issue with the police and media characterizing the rioters as “black youths of single moms.”
He discussed this on Facebook, and when the authorities saw it, they accused him of inciting looting and violence in Liverpool.
Nathan had the option of pleading guilty out of moral conviction or accepting the charge and walking away. He was made an example of as a result, and he was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Trying to Get a Pro Card
He attempted to finish his degree after being released from jail in 2012 but was informed that his criminal record prevented him from being hired as a nutritionist. As a result, he decided to compete in the 2013 British Championships and, if successful, earn his Pro Card.
Unfortunately, he had three blood clots during his preparation before the tournament that almost killed him. Now that he was starting over, he decided to strive for the 2014 show.
The loss of his niece and a case of pneumonia once more attempted to destroy his performance. He was able to overcome these difficulties, nevertheless, and finished first in the heavyweight division, winning the coveted professional title.
Mr.Olympia
Nathan competed in the professional-level UK Bodypower championship after that. He beat Roelly Winklaar and finished a solid second, but his sights were set on Mr. Olympia. Bodybuilders frequently delay competing at the Olympia for a few years, but Nathan was against this strategy.
“I know a lot of guys these days like to take time off and forgo the bigger events until they feel they’re ready, but it doesn’t make sense to me… You can never predict what will occur in life.
Your only opportunity might have been that. Additionally, if you are selected for the Olympia but decide not to compete, you have just denied another man the opportunity to go across that stage.
Nathan enjoyed every minute of the renowned competition. He claims that when performing on stage beside people like Phil Heath, he realized that they were mortal men and not invincible gods.
He finished 12th in the competition, but he viewed it as the first step in a long climb to the top.
Training
Kuwait or Liverpool
Nathan De Asha practices in Kuwait and Liverpool. After being persuaded to join him by his buddy and bodybuilding icon Roelly Winklaar, he was able to begin working out in Kuwait’s “Oxygen Gym.”
Now that Nathan is in Kuwait, Roelly serves as his primary trainer, and the two love working out together.
Training Split
- Day 1: Chest
- Also, Day 2: Back
- Day 3: Arms (Trices a.m., Biceps p.m.)
- Also, Day 4: Delts
- Day 5: Legs (Hams a.m., Quads p.m.
- Off, repeat
Front Focus
Every fifth day in his split routine, Nathan works on his back muscles because he thinks they are one of his weakest areas. He finishes a quick warm-up in the morning and comes back at three o’clock for a longer practice.
I’ll devote the day to working on my back as I’m aware that it’s one of my weaker body regions.
Morning
Nathan does deadlifts and hyperextensions in his morning routine. He finished his first set of Hypers with 15 bodyweight reps. He continues by doing the following:
15 repetitions at 10 kilograms
Nathan will perform a warm-up set before his morning deadlifts (15 kilograms for another 15, 25 kilograms for a drop set, and 10 reps with 25 kilograms, 20 kilograms, and 10 kilograms).
He will then progress to 260 kg by his fourth or fifth set after that. He attempts to accomplish 10 reps with this weight. While Nathan finds this tough, it is in the afternoon that he starts pushing himself.
Afternoon
His afternoon workout begins with four sets of pull-ups. Nathan De Asha claims he can frequently do 14 reps in a set, but if he is feeling sore, he would only complete 10 to 12. He follows it with four sets of front pulldowns.
Nathan performs sets of 15 reps, 12 reps, and finally 10 reps for his pulldowns. He prefers to perform single-armed seated rows or hammer-strength pulldowns as his next exercise right after these sets.
These options enable him to work nonstop until he is completely spent and to feel as exhausted as possible when he returns home.
Nutrition
Good Alternatives
Nathan De Asha is accustomed to eating a Kuwaiti diet because he spends the majority of his year there. Nathan enjoys experimenting with new curry meats and rice dishes to meet his macronutrient requirements.
He enjoys cooking a lot of his meals when he is home in Liverpool. He has his meat delivered to his door and enjoys dinners like seasoned pork steaks with cheese-topped potatoes.
Supplements
In addition to this nutritious food, Nathan also extensively relies on supplements to keep himself strong and muscular. To keep his body in top shape, he uses whey protein in addition to pre-workout supplements, amino acids, and vitamins.
How Can Nathan De Asha Teach Us Something?
Nathan De Asha is now an IFBB pro and a Mr. Olympia competitor thanks to his perseverance in overcoming obstacles to achieve his goals. Blood clots and a family death he experienced nearly prevented him from competing again, but he persisted.
It could be helpful to view a setback in your fitness journey as an opportunity to learn and bounce back stronger.