Jay Daly bows out in style

IF you’re going to go out, go out on top - and that’s exactly what Jay Daly has done.

The Limerick native, now living in Castlebar, claimed his first overall win at last month’s Northern Ireland Fitness Model Association (NIFMA) championships, as well as winning Mr. Athletic and coming second in classic physique.

It might have seemed that his last show would have been at the 2019 European Championships. Two further shows were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But after his nine-year-old son found a show and began motivating him, like Rocky Balboa he went ‘one more round’.

“My last show was the European Championships in 2019 which I won Classic Physique and Mr. Athletic. I was two years out and had two shows cancelled because of Covid. Both shows were in Limerick and both shows would have been where I could win an elusive pro card.

“The goal was to get the pro card, do one show in America and then once and for all stop. I’m mindful of the fact I’m in my late 40s and there’s only so much in the tank.

“A show came up this year, my son actually found the show and started motivating me. A boxer has one more big fight, and that was my one!”

Fitness modelling is not your typical bodybuilding either, explains Jay, who is a former champion cyclist. It is more about aesthetics and symmetry, as opposed to just simply lifting weights and going hard at the gym.

Jay’s success in these competitions is all the more impressive given he didn’t start until 2015, when he was in his late 30s.

“They don’t want someone on stage who’s 120kgs and the general public can’t identify with that.

“That’s not a look I had any aspirations to be. Being an ex-cyclist, I could never get that shape.”

To get ready for these competitions, the preparation must be on point. But as someone who has been here before, Jay simply saw it as ‘a lifestyle’ and while it has its challenges, the mental strength as well as physical is just as important.

“I wasn’t a big partier or a drinker. For 10 weeks (coming up to the comp), all I was doing was not having the wine at weekends or treats. You play with the macros. I cut out empty calories. Five days a week, I bump up my protein, minimising my sugars, eating low carbs and good fats.

“I have high carb days at weekends, keep the protein high but cut the fat to a minimum.

“This is the 11th time I’ve done this so I know how my body responds to food groups.

“I had a turbo trainer in my kitchen and I did 40 minutes on that, or two episodes of Friends!

“No intervals. Just steady state, which I did religiously. Then, I do specific weight training in the evening. Two sessions a days. Ten weeks. Rinse and repeat.

“It took me three shows to establish the protocols that would work for me. I was playing around with different workouts, what foods I need to eat and when I need to eat them.

“The biggest challenge was at night when I was very hungry. Sleep was a huge issue. I was drinking four to five litres of water per day. And sleep is one of the fundamental building blocks for all human beings to recover.

“There were many mornings that I didn’t want to get out of bed but I knew my tablet was waiting for me, two episodes of Friends, and you just push through.

“There’s a quote from Rocky IV where Paulo says to Rocky: ‘It’s you against you.’ Life, in every pursuit, is you against you. I’ve always believed that.”

At his final outing in Belfast, the classic physique competition was first. Describing it as ‘ballet on stage with muscles, you change the pose and nuance of the pose to the beat of your chosen song.

“I had The Flood by Take That, one of my favourite songs, on. Every nuance and change of the beat, one changes the pose nuance of the pose.”

He finished second and while he accepts his opponent won fairly, Jay lamented the lack of a ‘proper gym’ in Mayo.

“The feedback from judges was my legs weren’t cut enough. I put it down to one thing: Mayo doesn’t have a proper gym. The machines I was training on in Limerick, Mayo doesn’t have them.

“My opponent won fair and square. Even though my posing and routine was better, his legs were better and more defined, which was fair enough.”

Jay went one better and won Mr. Athletic, where instead of your own song, you have to interpret the judges music and make the appropriate pose. Then came the cherry on top in winning the overall event. Competing against some guys half his age, it’s a source of pride for Jay.

“It’s a minute to their music and you have to interpret on-the-fly the changing music, which can be quite challenging. I made slight modifications to the Classic routine. I practiced myself putting music on the fly and responding to it.

“They take the winners of every category and bring them on stage for a pose down for one minute. The judges narrowed it to three people and the judges call the poses they want to see. You’re competing with the best in stage. Various class winners, 20- to 30-year-olds, and I beat guys half my age.

“For me, that was the win because I never won an entire shown before. Age is a number and a certain mindset.”

As to what the future holds, Jay, who works as manager of the Beech Club at Westport Woods Hotel, might get back on the bike and enter some class of a race.

“I went to do a power test to do my numbers and compared them to when I retired in 2010 and they weren’t bad.

“I’ve no interest in losing the gains I’ve made or racing against guys half my age. But I might do Masters time trials. No hills. Just pure, raw power.

“It’ll take a couple of months to get to that level but it’ll be just for fun and to have a focus and a goal.”