How professional body-builder Wes Patterson uses digital therapeutics in his training

It was nice to catch up with professional bodybuilder and personal trainer Wes Patterson over in Chicago. Having just participated in the Arnold competition and placing top 3, it was great to be able to ask him about his event and how Flow Recovery helped him in the run up to the competition. Wes used our digital health therapy devices to ensure that his body always felt 100% and ready to tackle his training.

• How was the Arnold competition?

The Arnold competition was amazing!

It’s one of the biggest shows in body building so it was so exciting to step on stage and see hundreds of people out there watching and cheering. Being on stage with competitors from across the world and competing against the best, to get top three was pretty amazing.

• What did your training plan look like in the months leading up to Arnold?

I did a 12 week prep- the plan was I wanted to grow until the show. For the first 8 weeks we did a lean bulk trying to put on as much muscle as I could. So I was lifting pretty heavy for the first 8 weeks and then for the last weeks we went through a really tough cut to break everything down and get rid of the fat.

• How important is recovery for your training, and how do you incorporate Flow into your recovery routine?

Recovery in my training is 99%. For me and any other athlete it is so important for what we do; not just for bodybuilding but for fitness in general. Flow helped me so much during this prep. I have the PRO and I can’t tell you how sore and beat up I was after my workout. So, for me, every single night to massage myself from head to toe for 10–15 minutes, it helped me out a lot! I did that all 12 weeks.

• Which is your favourite device attachment and why?

I like to use the Fork head as it digs really deep into the muscle and it releases so much fascia. Every time i do it, the next morning I feel so loose and it feels like I have dropped some new muscle so I use that all the time. I really like the bullet as well.

• How long have you worked with Flow and what do you like about the company?

I have worked with Flow since 2020! One thing I like about Flow is that they really respect their athletes. They do so much for me, I send them an email and they’re very fast to respond. Their communication is unbelievable- for example, they sent me the new NANO right away! I’ve never been with a company that is so connected with their athletes. They make sure that I’m okay and I feel like I’m a part of a family!

• What is your routine before and after working out and how are they different?

I use recovery both before and after I work out- I carry the PRO with me everywhere.

When I get to the gym, my routine is always to go to the grass turf and massage myself with the device for about 15 minutes. For example, if I’m working chest and shoulders, I’ll massage them and then I go into a dynamic stretch .

Then post lift, I’ll go right back to the grass and do the same routine again to get rid of the lactic acid inside of the muscle.

Whoever does that routine is going to feel amazing. Your body is going to love it.

• What keeps you motivated to train as hard as you do?

My ‘Why’ keeps me motivated.

One of my reasons is I want to be one of the biggest inspirations in fitness. I want to be able to put my mark on the fitness industry and motivate individuals, whether you want to gain weight or lose weight. I want to show people that it is possible. I let people live that experience through my platform- that is why I share everything that I do. If I’m using Flow I’m using it all the time and people are used to seeing me with you. So that’s the goal, to be a big name in the fitness industry. When I think about that, that keeps me motivated to keep going because if I stop, my name won’t be as relevant in the fitness industry.

• Do you have any advice for people who want to improve their fitness and recovery?

Always think of recovery. I think the problem is, a lot of people these days only think about going to the gym and lifting weights. Recovery is important because without it, you’re not going to get results; the muscle won’t improve, the muscle won’t grow.

So my advice would be to get a nice recovery tool- I use Flow, you don’t have to get the PRO but there’s so many other devices, and you should keep that with you, you can use it before and after your workout

Recovery and nutrition are so important in fitness; these are the two main tools if you want to be successful in fitness. It’s easy to go to the gym and to lift some weights, but if you can’t put the right food inside of your body, it won’t go anywhere.

• How long have you been Vegan and is there any advice you would give someone who wants to go Vegan?:

I’ve been vegan for 2 years now. That’s one of the reasons I did the Arnold, to show that a vegan can compete against non-vegans . People think that you can’t compete if you’re vegan, but I proved that you can as I got in the top three. There’s so many protein sources; there’s tofu, lentils and protein shakes to name but a few.

There are so many options of being vegan and since a lot of people don’t know the vegan culture they can get misled. People think that if you’re Vegan, you won’t put on muscle, but that isn’t true at all. I’ve been Vegan for 2 years and on stage I was 205 pounds.

• Have you got any more competitions coming up?

Yes, I’m competing in the Kentucky Muscle, August 20th and in the Nationals, August 27th! Nationals is going to be the biggest show as I’m going to get my pro card there!

At Flow Recovery, we are excited to follow Wes as he approaches his upcoming events and we look forward to speaking to him again soon.