Interview with Men's Physique athlete, Sandro Carvalho.
- Name: Sandro Carvalho
- Age: 24 years
- Height: 1.90 cm
- Weight: 98kg
- Men's Physique National 6th Place
- Open SL Nutrition 2nd Place
- Open Factorx 4th Place
- Portuguese Men's Physique Cup
How and why did you start training?
I started the world of bodybuilding when I was 15 years old to strengthen my spine, due to my height.
As the years went by, his passion for his body increased, and he began to see the gym as a daily routine.
What type of diet do you follow?
Initially I didn't follow any type of diet, it was only in the last 4 years that I started to see food as the main factor in achieving goals.
My diet is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables and fiber.
Meal 1: Pancake with 3 egg whites and 1 yolk, 80g oats and flaxseed, 1 banana and a whey shake
Meal 2: Wholemeal Bread with Light Cream Cheese and 2 Slices of Turkey Ham
Meal 3: 100g Brown Rice, 200g Turkey/Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 4: 1 Pear and 1 Can of Tuna
Pre workout: 1 Protein Shake and 5 Amino Acid Caps
After training: Whey Shake, 5 caps Amino Acids, Rice Crackers with Peanut Butter
Meal 5: 50g Rice, 200g Turkey/Chicken and Vegetables
Meal 6: Light and ZMA Fresh Cheese
What type of training do you follow?
Warm-up: 12 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and one exercise each workout 30 reps.
Monday – Chest
- Flat Bench Press 8-10-12-14-16
- Incline Bench Press 8-8-8
- Parallels 15-15-15
- Decline Bench Press 12-12-12-12
- Openings Plan 12-12-12-12
Tuesday – Legs
- Squat 10-10-10-10
- Leg Press 8-8-8-8
- Lunges 10-10-10-10
- Extender 4 Series to Failure
- Stiff 12-12-12-12
- Flexor 12-12-12-12
- Glute 20-20-20-20
Wednesday – Back and Gemini
- Bent Over Row 12-12-12-12
- Incline Bench Row with Dumbbells 12-12-12-12
- Rear Handle 12-12-12-12
- Short Chest Puller 12-12-12
- Leg Press Calfs 20-20-20-20
- Step 20-20-20-20
Thursday – Shoulders
- Multi-Power Shoulder Press Back 12-12-12-12
- Military Press 12-12-12-12
- Flights 12-12-12-12
- Trapezoid Shrinks 15-15-15
- Inverted Crucifix Bench 12-12-12-12
Friday – Biceps and Triceps
- Right Bar 12-12-12
- 90 Degree Isolated Curl 12-12-12
- String 12-12-12-12
- Concentrate 12-12-12-12
- Incline Bench Press 12-10-10-8
- Tricep Nuca 12-12-12-12
- French Tricep 12-12-12-12
- Kickback 12-12-12-12
Within the same training I like to vary between short and heavy sets with sets with a greater number of repetitions, drop sets, supersets, so that it even takes the muscle to total exhaustion.
What are the main differences when you want to gain weight and when you want to lose fat?
When I'm in the weight gain phase, bulking phase, the main objective is to gradually increase carbohydrates, as we need to know what the basal metabolic rate is.
Through this we adjust the eating plan.
To lose fat, we use the same calculations and the caloric value we reduce calories, also gradually adding cardio.
At a higher level, I start doing fasted cardio, starting with 20 minutes of medium/slow cardio, until I reach about an hour of fasted training.
For faster effects, I add cardio before bed.
Where does your motivation come from?
Much of my motivation comes from myself, from testing my limits.
Another part comes from the passion of having a healthy and well-functioning body, because when we feel that our body is in good shape, our ego is on the rise.
What supplements do you use?
The base supplements I use are protein, amino acids and glutamine.
Sometimes together with a pre workout or caffeine for days when I'm more tired.
I like the BSN Syntha 6, amino acids, ZMA and glutamine from Scitec and 1MR as a pre-workout.
Any tips in particular for those just starting out?
What I have to say to beginners is that bodybuilding is more than going to the gym and lifting iron.
There is a lot of discipline 24 hours a day, because to achieve your goals there is a complement, from training, rest and eating clean.
It's a very monotonous sport, but it's the one that boosts our ego the most.
I want to especially thank Fernando (Ali Butcher), Emanuel Belinha and Miguel Leao, who have always accompanied me on this journey.
Email: sandrofcarvalho50@gmail.com
