Would you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Lee Hamilton. I am 25 years old fitness model and fitness competitor based in the UK. I stand at 6’1” and currently weigh 82kg. I work alongside the GB track team. I find this job rewarding and highly inspiring. I will be a competitor in Miami Pro in November this year and stepping on stage in an attempt to do well and further my career.

When did you start your body transformation?

Same old story: extreme ectomorph as a child; I was bullied throughout my younger days but this was NOT my only drive to change. I chose to work out as it made me happy. I still enjoy every workout I do.

I organised a photo shoot a couple of years back and it all went on from there. I got signed with an agency in New York. It got me to work with the best fitness photographers in Miami, Los Angeles, Paris and obviously all over UK.

What keeps you motivated?

MUSIC! I need to make sure I have the hardest, dirtiest and most up to date dubstep music on my iPod. Aside from music I obviously have my idols: Matt Ogus, Jeff Seid and Rob Riches who are all very inspiring characters.

How many days per week you workout and your normal weekly workout schedule?

My week is split into 5, sometimes 6, training days. My average week looks like so:

Day 1: Upper body Workout – max strength/Hypertrophy

• Back & Chest: 3 exercises each (5-10 rep range)
• Delts: 2 Exercises (10-12 rep range)
• Biceps & triceps: 1 exercise each (10-12 rep range)

Day 2: Lower body Workout – Max Strength

• Quads: 2-3 exercises (5-10 rep range)
• Hams: 2-3 exercises (5-10 rep range)

Day 3: Delts/Arms – Hypertrophy/Muscular Endurance

• Delts: 3-4 exercises (10-25 rep range)
• Biceps and Triceps: 3 exercises each (10-25 rep range)

Day 4: Off / Cardio

• 45 mins cardio

Day 5: Upper body Hypertrophy/Muscular Endurance

• Back & Chest: 3 exercises each (10-15 rep range)
• Delts: 1-2 Exercises ( 15-25 rep range)
• Biceps & Triceps: 1 exercise each (15-25 rep range)

Day 6: Lower body Hypertrophy/Muscular Endurance

• Quads: 2-3 exercises (10-20 rep range)
• Hams: 2-3 Exercises (10-20 rep range)

Day 7: Off

• Rest day

What is your favourite muscle group and your favourite exercise for it?

It has to be shoulders. I don’t have a favourite exercise but my favourite method is to isolate my frontal, rear and lateral delt heads before doing my heavy presses. That way I have already exhausted the muscles.

What’s your diet like?

I am not going to give out all my grams per meal as this will be different for each individual. However, I eat the following:

• Strong black coffee
• Oats and eggs
• Protein shake with oats
• Chicken/white fish and sweet potato
• Protein shake with dextrose
• Rice and eggs with steak
• Rice cakes with peanut butter
• Eggs and avocado

Supplementation: whey protein, BCAAs, fish oil, Vit C, Vit D, l-glutamine, l-carnitine.

What is your advice to anyone who wants to gain weight and build muscles?

D.E.D.I.C.A.T.I.O.N – Give it time. Don’t expect to see results in no time at all. It takes a lot of hard work and you need to learn what your body responds to.

I would say: get a solid training program, an ever better diet and stay committed.

What are your ambitions?

My biggest ambition is stepping on Miami Pro’s stage later this year [November 2013]. I also like to enter more competitions within the UKBFF or WBFF.

Lee is endorsed by L-Homme Invisible; he is an ambassador for Icon Nutrition and promoter of Up&Cut gymwear range.

• Facebook: facebook.com/leehamiltonfitnessmodel
• Twitter: twitter.com/leemarkhamilton
•  Photography credit: Gilles Crofta (facebook.com/pages/Gilles-Crofta-models-photo-shoots/381317578622324); Simon Barnes (facebook.com/HOTSNAPZ); Luis Rafael (facebook.com/LuisRafael4Photos); Bailey Image (baileyimage.co.uk).

Have you seen the picture of that guy with well defined upper body and his chicken legs? Take a look at our Facebook page, if you haven’t. It illustrates the importance of leg day. You can squat to train your lower body.

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Benefits of squats

There are many obvious and not-so-obvious benefits of squats. They help you build not just your leg muscles but muscles in your entire body, including quadriceps (quads), hamstrings and calves. Squats help tone not just your legs but your back and abs too. They improve your balance, your mobility and posture.

Squats are part of every athlete’s daily routine because squatting improves their performance. Making squats part of your training program reduces your risk of injury by improving your flexibility, and strengthening your ligaments and connective tissue.

Squat technique

We squat from a very early age in our everyday life. That may give us false confidence and lead to injury if not careful when squatting to exercise. Here are some basics tips to help you perfect your squatting technique:

First things first, don’t forget your warm up routine. Stand with your feet at shoulder width. Your back should be straight and your head forward. Standing firmly on the ground, start lowering your body until you reach seating position then lift your body to its starting position. Don’t lean forward and don’t allow your knees to go beyond your toes.

This is the basic squat technique. There are different types of squats to suit different levels of fitness. Here are a couple of suggestions that you can try as you progress:

Dumbbell squat

The dumbbell squat is exactly the same as the normal squat described above. The only difference is that you introduce a pair of dumbbells to increase the level of difficulty. The weight of the dumbbells should be enough to challenge you.

Bulgarian squat

As many of you know, I am partial to (almost) anything that has Bulgarian in its title and the Bulgarian Squat is no exception. You need a normal workout bench, chair, coffee table or similar to rest one of your legs during the exercise. If it’s not a workout bench, make sure whatever you are using as a substitute is steady and able to support your leg.

Step away from the bench with your back turned to it. Place your left leg on the bench and keep your body straight. Lower your body by bending down your right leg until the knee of your left leg almost touches the floor. Pause at the bottom position, then raise your body back to its starting position. Put your right leg on the bench and repeat the movement with your left leg.

As you progress, you can perform the Bulgarian squat with either dumbbells or a barbell to increase the intensity of the exercise.

Bulgarian squat works out the front of your thighs, gluts and hamstrings.

Skinny Muscles Squat Challenge

Everyone seems to be on some kind of a squat challenge: from the easy ones for beginners to the super challenging ones for the hardcore gym goers. The Skinny Muscles Squat Challenge is somewhere in the middle. It’s based on three days on and one day rest.

Skinny Muscles Squat Challenge

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Download the free PDF worksheet and start your Skinny Muscles Squat Challenge today.

Hi Tristan. It’s been a while since we last spoke to you. Would you tell us and our readers what have you been up to?

Hey Mark. I have been very busy since my last interview, with multiple trips back and forth to the States. I also did some work for Calvin Klein in the form of a promotional event in London a couple of months ago.

One of my most enjoyable jobs since modelling was my shoot for Bikkembergs in Belgium. The shoot in Belgium was for [the Belgian fashion designer] Dirk Bikkembergs’ book, which is being released in November 2013.

My most exciting job so far was a shoot for a certain magazine in London. However, I am keeping this quiet until the image is released! Can you guess which magazine?

Tristan Edwards on the importance of being lean and ASD Performance. Image – © Lewis Payton

Those of us who follow your social media profiles would know that you have been also busy conditioning your body and even losing some weight. Would you tell us more about that, please?

Yes, I have been very busy training hard to lose weight and gain better definition. I went from 205lbs down to just 183lbs in just under 3 months! My reason for doing this was because during my visits to Los Angeles, I was advised on multiple occasions that a lean body is much more appealing rather than mass and will in turn lead to a lot more availability of jobs. So I have committed to this and as a result I am looking very lean!

Besides modelling, I have also begun developing my own sports nutritional supplement line: ASD Performance. I am very excited about this and the products will be released next month [June 2013].

My products are aimed to help every type of consumer; from the everyday man/woman to athletes and fitness models who want to achieve their ideal physique. Unlike many other brands that just focus on promoting mass development and bodybuilding, I am aiming to promote the importance of achieving an aesthetic physique that can be admired by almost everyone.

Since losing all the weight I have really begun to notice the importance of aesthetics over mass. And I am confident my products can help anyone achieve their own ideal physique.

Tristan Edwards on the importance of being lean and ASD Performance. Image – © Lewis Payton

Having your own supplements range is like a dream come true for most fitness models. Would you tell us how you achieved that?

Yes, it is most definitely a dream come true. I achieved this by putting in a lot of hard work! I have spent hours working towards the release and production of ASD Performance.

I created the label design and logo entirely myself. I have spent hours designing the website layout. I have done first hand research into what the most desired nutritional supplements are, to ensure I can provide what is in demand.

Most importantly – I have been building up a reputation that gives me great credibility when it comes to recommending my products.

Tristan Edwards on the importance of being lean and ASD Performance. Image – © Lewis Payton

Tell us about the supplements line: what types of products are in it, when it’s going to be available and how we can get hold of ASD Performance?

The products I am releasing initially include: a Pre workout Thermogenic Fat Burner; a Nitric Oxide Pre workout enhancer, which will give you great pumps and increased energy and provides for an overall awesome workout!

Glutamine, which helps you recover from those gruelling workouts and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA). These products will be sold in both the UK and USA, and will be available June 2013!

To get hold of my products you will need to visit the ASD Performance website which is currently being developed. It will be online and ready to go in June 2013!

After the initial release of these products I will also be releasing several other products, ranging from protein shakes, ZMA, multivitamins, acai berry (The super fruit) supplement etc. There will be a very wide product range, tailored to every consumer.

ASD Performance by Tristan Edwards coming June 2013.

I hope you have enjoyed my interview. To follow my work and the release of ASD Performance visit my Facebook page and other social media profiles:

• Facebook: facebook.com/TristanEdwardsASD
• Twitter: twitter.com/TristanEdwardsf
• Instagram: instagram.com/tristanedwardsfm

It’s a matter of weeks before the astronomical summer begins on Friday, 21 June 2013. There is a high possibility that you are going on some kind of a beach holiday (or vacation if you read this in America). Like it or not, you are going to wear T-Shirts, shorts and other revealing outfits. Fear not. In this post we are going to show you how to get a beach body in time for the summer.

Over the past few months, we have published a variety of workout plans and weight training programmes to suite your level of fitness. Here is a selection of three workout plans (plus free downloadable PDF log sheets) that can be performed at home or in your gym. Two are full body workouts and the third is a six pack abs home workout routine, because everyone likes/wants a washboard stomach.

3 Day Lifting Plan

This plan is especially developed for the readers of Skinny Muscles by Chris Heskett who is a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach and a champion physique competitor. The 3 Day Lifting Plan is for beginners who want to build muscles and have access to a gym with free weights.

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It includes one full body workout per training day (3 in total). Chris recommends that you workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can change the days to suit your schedule. Just make sure you leave plenty of time for recovery between sessions. Download the free PDF document to get started today.

3 Day Full Body Workout

This is another one of Chris Heskett’s plans developed especially for Skinny Muscles. It is suitable for beginners and those who prefer to workout at home.

3 Day Full Body Workout for beginners

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The 3 Day Full Body Workout requires minimal equipment – a pull up bar, resistance bands or dumbbells, a chair, stool or bench and exercise mat. Perform the exercises in circuit fashion and repeat 1-3 circuits per training day. Download the free PDF document to get started.

Six Pack Abs Home Workout Routine

A chiselled washboard stomach seems to be on everyone’s perfect body wish list. Everyone in the fitness industry seems to have an opinion on how to achieve the perfect six pack abs. One thing is sure: doing endless repeats and sets after sets of sit ups alone is not the right way to get a six pack.

Six pack abs home workout

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Getting your abdominal muscle to show is a combination of diet, cardio and working out. The trick is to get your body fat really low in order to strip the layer of fat that covers the waste area. Download the free PDF Six Pack Abs Home Routine developed by Tom Imanishi.

Remember that it takes at least 12 weeks of working out and dieting to see any visible changes in your physique. This is our quick guide on how to get a beach body in time for the summer. You can find more plans and free downloadable PDF log sheets in the Workout Plans category.

Here at Skinny Muscles we are big believers in working out at home and bodyweight workouts. We try to bring you the best tried and tested methods to keep fit without the need to invest in gym memberships and expensive equipment. When Lauren approached us with the idea of doing a post on bodyweight exercises and a living room workout, there was only one answer: Yes, please.

Lauren is a fitness and conditioning coach and professional Volleyball player who blogs over at Laurens Fitness. She holds a degree in Human Movement and with a long pro sports career under her belt, Lauren is well equipped to advise you on bodyweight exercises and living room workout. It’s over to you, Lauren:

Getting to the gym on a regular basis is not easy. Luckily, time and equipment are no longer an issue. You already have everything you need, your own body. Check out these five exercises that you can do in your living room.

Lunges

This is a great exercise for your legs and glutes. Not only do you help strengthen your legs, but the lunge will also help to open up your hips and create better mobility and flexibility in the area.

How To: Step out in front of you with one leg. Make sure your foot is far enough out so your knee will not move over your toes when you complete the lunge. To progress you can hold something over head. This not only will add weight, but will also stretch your hip muscles and fascia.

Bridges

I call these the glute builders, a must have in your program. These bridges are one of the best exercises for glute strength and back pain prevention.

How To: Start with two leg bridges. Your knees should be bent to about ninety degrees and your heels on the ground in front of you. Press through your heels and bring your body up to parallel. Hold this position momentarily and come back down. Once you master this, move onto one leg work.

Push Up

One of the classic exercises that often gets overlooked. The push up is great for shoulder health as well as working those chest muscles. It incorporates a lot of the body and has a lot of variations for any level.

How To: Start in a plank position on your hands. Your back should be straight and held in that position throughout the exercise. With your hands remaining still on the floor, allow your elbows to bend until your chest almost touches the floor and then push back up to the starting position. If you can’t complete the exercise or hold your form, do it on your knees. If you have already mastered it, put your feet up on a bench and increase the intensity.

Towel Rows

This is a great at home alternative for the upper back. By working an area that helps with posture, you will also hit your biceps and gain strength through your upper body.

How To: Use a towel or a belt and wrap it around a secure door handle. Lean backwards slightly holding the towel. Stiffen your lower body and pull yourself closer to the door by bending your arms and contracting between your shoulders blades. To make it more difficult, lean back farther or use one arm.

Prone Hold

This is the ultimate core exercise and helps prevent lower back pain. Forget sit ups, start working on your prone holds.

How To: The standard prone hold requires you to be on your elbows with your back straight. You shouldn’t pike or sag at the bottom. Hold this form and position. To progress you can alternate lifting one arm or one leg.

Living Room Workout

Time is no longer an excuse as with this living room workout, you can get it done in 20 minutes.

• Warm up with 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks and 10 Squats.
• Beginners do two sets, intermediates do three.
• Each superset should be done without rest.
• Alternate between the exercises and don’t stop until all the sets are finished.
• Rest in between supersets for 2 minutes.
• Complete 2-3 times a week.

Super Set 1 (2-3 Sets)

• Lunges 8-10 Each Leg
• Push Up 10-12

Super Set 2 (2-3 Sets)

• Bridges 8-10 Double Leg or Each Leg
• Towel Rows 10-12

Core (2-3 Sets)

• Prone Holds Maximum time until form breaks.

Go and get started. Leave a comment below if you have any questions. If you want more living room workouts and other exercises you can do at home, visit Lauren’s blog here. You can also chat to her personally on Facebook and Google Plus.

For the past month or so, I have been using Recovery XS by Myprotein after my workout sessions (which I do at home). It’s only fair to share my thoughts on the product with you.

I’d like to point out that I have not been paid nor endorsed by Myprotein to do this review. The review is based on my experience with the product, its price, taste and results.

Price

I paid £27.99 for a 1.8kg pouch. I mix 1 heaped scoop (about 45g) in 200ml of water and drink during my workout. Then I mix the same (1 heaped spoon in 200ml water) and drink after my workout. That works out 90g (or so) per session or 20 servings (or so) per pouch. It comes to £1.40 per serving or £4.20 per week (if you workout 3 times a week).

Taste

I purchased the “Chocolate Smooth” flavoured Recovery XS hoping that it would taste better than the “designer” brands I’ve had in the past. It doesn’t leave that lingering medicine-like aftertaste in your mouth but it doesn’t taste like a chocolate smoothie either.

If I had to describe its taste, I’d compare it to the taste of a very bitter dark chocolate bar. Many people’s taste buds crave and adore that kind of taste but I’m not one of them. On the plus side, I have to endure it only once a day, 3 times a week.

Results

Recovery XS is a post-workout drink that aids your recovery. In my case it did just that. I used it for over a month and I did notice faster recovery time and much less sore muscles the following day.

I mostly took it for its nutritional values and the 24.5g of protein per serving but the reduced recovery time was a nice bonus too. After all, who wants to waste their money on a post-workout shake and feel sore after a workout session?

Recovery XS by Myprotein – my verdict

Regardless of its taste, I am more than happy with the product. It does what it says and it is good value for money. It also comes in a heavy duty resealable bag (or a pouch as they call it). Unlike other products, the seal on the bag stays intact until the last of the contents.

I am happy to recommend Recovery XS by Myprotein to you and (because of its taste) I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Those of you who follow my posts and updates on the social media networks, know that I am a believer in vitamins and minerals. You don’t need me to tell you how important vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients are for your health. However, if you have too much of them, you risk vitamin poisoning.

Vitamin poisoning is also referred to as hypervitaminosis. It refers to “a condition of high storage levels of vitamins which can lead to toxic symptoms.” These toxic levels of vitamins are due to high intake of supplements, not from dietary sources.

Vitamin poisoning from fat soluble vitamins

Hypervitaminosis generally concerns fat soluble vitamins. These vitamins are stored in the body’s fatty tissue and in the liver. They build up and stay in the body for longer periods of time than the water soluble vitamins. Vitamin A, D, E and K are all fat soluble.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A (or retinol as it is also known) is important for the health of our teeth, skin and bones. Due to its role in forming of pigments in the retina, Vitamin A is particularly important for the health of our eyes.

Taking too much of it can cause Vitamin A poisoning (Hypervitaminosis A). There are two types of Vitamin A poisoning: acute or chronic.

Acute Vitamin A poisoning occurs when an individual takes high doses in short periods of time. The symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and peeling of the skin. It can cause the pressure inside the skull to increase to dangerous levels. If that pressure increase is left untreated, it can cause permanent brain damage.

Chronic Vitamin A poisoning is caused from taking high doses over long periods of time. Symptoms include hair loss, dry and cracked skin, dry eyes, frail bones prone to fractures.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a role in the immune system, parathyroid gland and pancreas. It also plays a major role in our bone formation by maintaining ideal levels of calcium and phosphorus.

Vitamin D poisoning (Hypervitaminosis D) is associated with increased levels of calcium in the blood. Common symptoms include appetite loss, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, constipation and irritability. In more serious cases, Vitamin D poisoning can cause heart rhythm abnormalities and kidney stones.

If left untreated these calcium deposits in soft tissues (such as the kidneys) may lead to kidney failure.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful oxidant. It supports the immune system and it helps the preservation of cell membranes in our bodies.

Consuming more than the recommended daily intake can lead to Vitamin E poisoning (Hypervitaminosis E). Symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness, diarrhoea, nausea and disturbed vision.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K plays a role in blood clotting. Over consuming Vitamin K can damage the cell membranes. It can also lead to negative health effects due to its interaction with other drugs and antibiotics.

Please visit the NHS Choices website for more information and recommended daily intake.

The majority of vitamin poisoning occurs as a result of taking high doses of supplements. Therefore before you start taking any supplements, it’s always a good idea to consult with your general practitioner.

The reason I chose True Whey by Myprotein was because they didn’t have flashy adverts. I wanted to try a brand that invests more in developing their products than it does on marketing campaigns and endorsements.

I wasn’t sure what to expect though. In fact I was expecting it to taste horrible, but did it? Here’s my genuine and honest review of True Whey by Myprotein. I just like to point out that I was not paid nor was I endorsed by Myprotein to write this review.

Whenever I am buying whey protein, I base my decision on price, taste and results. Let’s see how True Whey measures up.

Price

I paid £39.99 for a 5lb pouch. It contains 90 servings which makes it extremely good value for money – about £0.44. They recommend 3 servings a day which makes that 1 pouch last a month.

Taste

Myprotein don’t do restaurants but if they did, True Whey would be a Michelin star dish. I know that this is a bold statement but it is true. It’s by far the best tasting whey protein that I’ve tried.

Most brands claim that their whey protein tastes just like a milkshake and I always take such claims with a pinch of salt. True Whey, however, really does taste like a milkshake and it doesn’t leave that medicine-like lingering after-taste. It mixes well, it doesn’t foam and it doesn’t leave you bloated.

Results

The results depend on the individual. I can only tell you about my experience and results. I took True Whey for 1 month. During that month I did lift weights (at home and not too heavy), I used a post-workout recovery protein and I was on a good diet. The combination of all of the above plus my True Whey shakes every day, resulted in me gaining about 4lb [1.8kg].

True Whey by Myprotein – my verdict

They say that first impressions count and I was certainly impressed with the quantity contained in the plastic packet (or a pouch as it’s referred to on their website)when I opened the box. True Whey by Myprotein kept impressing me with its taste, results and the value for money that it was. The only thing that could be improved is the packet seal. Both the pouch and its seal are heavy duty, but I found that after a while, the seal starts to peel off.

I have been wanting to do an article on bodybuilding and tattoos for a long time. Why? The simple answer is that it’s difficult to ignore it. Every other person (both in real life and in the media) seems to have a tattoo of some kind somewhere on their body (visible or not). Many of the fitness models also have them. Even I have one – but we won’t go there.

Having a tattoo is about celebrating special moments, sharing precious memories and expressing one self. Sometimes people have tattoos to cover scars or correct parts of their bodies, like breast reconstruction for example. Others turn to tattooing as a form of permanent makeup and even “hair replication.”

Whatever the reasons, I admire the hard work and the pain that goes into a tattoo. I also admire the quality and the finish of the artwork. I admire those (men and women) who have the guts to tattoo visible parts of their bodies. I am, however, not too sure about tattoos on bodybuilders.

In my humble opinion, bodybuilding and tattoos are two forms of art that, in their finest form, should be kept separate. As a spectator and someone who appreciates both, I find it difficult to concentrate on either of them when they are both on display. Tattoos distract the eye from appreciating the bodybuilder’s body and all the hard work that’s gone into conditioning it.

It’s a bit like having a Rembrandt painting on the statue of David by Michelangelo. They are both masterpieces in their own right but put together, they become neither use nor ornament. Not to mention the negative impact that the “marriage of both” would have on the price tag.

On the plus side: the fake tan that bodybuilders apply before a competition tends to tone down any tattoos. There are also plenty of makeup products that are specifically designed to cover up tattoos.

Have a look at this promotional video where special makeup is used to cover the tattoos of Rico Genest aka Zombie Boy. You may have seen him in the Lady GaGa’s Born This Way video.

What do you think: are bodybuilding and tattoos a good match? Tell us what you think and feel free to mention your favourite tattoo or tattooed person.

• Photography credit: Empyrean Photography – www.empyreanphotography.com
• Model: Josef Gloor – www.josefgloor.com

My absolute favourite muscle building food is pasta with tuna. It takes very little time and effort to cook and it tastes great. Not to mention its nutritional benefits. A similar recipe is featured in Nigella Lawson’s latest book – Nigellissima. In her version though, the celebrity chef uses spaghetti instead of pasta. It looks (and I’m sure it tastes) just as good as my version. Let’s get cooking.

Pasta with tuna – easy to prepare muscle building food recipe

By Mark Alexander on 04/12/2013

A delicious tasting and easy to prepare pasta with tuna recipe. It takes 15 minutes and you don’t need to be a professional chef to cook it.

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 1 portion

Nutrition Information:

• 723 calories
• 43 grams of fat

Ingredients:

• Whole-wheat fusilli pasta – 100g (or a heaped coffee mug)
• Tuna chunks in brine – 130g (1 can)
• Tomatoes on the vine – 2
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Half a lemon or lemon juice
• 1 table spoon olive oil (or normal cooking oil)
• Pitted olives in brine (optional)
• 1 red chilli or chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 garlic clove (optional)

Instructions:
Boil the pasta. Add a table spoon of olive (or cooking) oil and a pinch of salt to a small-ish pan with boiling water. Add the pasta and leave to boil for 12-13 mins. Prepare the tuna. Open the tuna tin and drain the liquid. Wash the tomatoes and chop them. If you are using chilli pepper and olives, now is the time to chop them too. Peel and crush the garlic clove. If you don’t have a garlic press, you can crush it on the chopping board and then finely chop it. Put your pasta with tuna together. Drain your pasta and return it into the pan you use to boil it in. Add the tuna, chopped tomatoes, chilli (or chilli flakes), olives and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and the lemon juice. Stir it all in and serve in a bowl.