- Name: Fábio Silva
- Age: 22 years
- Height: 1.81m
- Off-Season Weight: 85kg
- Competition weight: 79kg
- Central South Regional? 1st Ranked +1.79cm Men's Physique
- National? 6th Ranked Up to 1.85cm Men's Physique
- Champions Weekend Scitec? 3rd Ranked +1.81cm Men's Physique
How and why did you start training?
I started training when I was 17 years old, I was very thin, I weighed around 54kg and it made me jealous to see other boys who were bigger than me, and of course… I wanted to stand out in front of the girls at school!
But over time, bodybuilding changed my life, it greatly increased my self-esteem and even the way I dressed, personal and body care changed, and then yes, I started wearing a tighter t-shirt to achieve certain looks ;)
What type of diet do you follow?
I follow a very careful diet, based on white meat, white fish and vegetables. I avoid fried foods, certain fats and fast food.
But every now and then I also take a break from my diet, I have to live my life and go to the movies with a friend, with everything under control and without excesses, it just feels good!
Now, it's logical that in pre-competition I follow everything to the letter.
Soft drinks? No way, water is good.
I also pay maximum attention when I cook, everything is controlled at the right time, for example, I let the egg boil for 5 to 7 minutes, and I eat it when the yolk is still soft, because they contain less saturated fat.
When I'm in the cutting phase, I eliminate carbohydrates and greatly increase sources of fat, such as salmon, avocado and nuts.
When I load up on carbohydrates, I particularly like to use sweet potatoes.
What type of training do you follow?
I'm an advocate of short, intense workouts, because the load doesn't matter, what matters is working the muscle well with as little rest as possible between sets, personally I rest between 45 and 60 seconds.
I normally do 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions in each exercise, always controlling the load in the negative phase, which is very important to avoid injuries and always keep the muscle working, giving better results.
Oh, and no talking during training!
Furthermore, I always stretch very well at the end.
Example of Fábio Silva's back training
- TO 1 ? Barbell rowing? 5 sets x 7-9 reps? 1 minute rest
- B2? Pulldown? 4 sets x 10-12 reps
- In superseries with
- B1? Lifts with reverse grip? 4 sets x 8-10 reps – 50 seconds rest
- C1? Cable rowing? 4 sets x 8-10 reps
- In triseries with
- C2? Cable pull? 4 sets x 10-12 reps
- In triseries with
- C3? Dumbbell pullover? 4 sets x 12-15 reps? 1 minute rest
What are the main differences when you want to gain weight and when you want to lose fat?
When I want to gain weight I increase carbohydrates and slightly fats.
When I move into the cutting phase, I reduce carbohydrates and gradually increase fat, and then I start cardio exercises and do more exhausting workouts to speed up my metabolism.
Where does your motivation come from?
My motivation comes from myself, if we don't beat ourselves we won't achieve success!
What supplements do you use?
- BCAA's
- EAA's
- Isolated whey protein
- Glutamine
- HMB
- Omega 3
- Taurine
- Creapure Creatine
- Multivitamin
Any tips in particular for those just starting out?
Always believe that anything is possible, seek help from those who really know, because there are a lot of things on the internet, but they are not always right.
Bodybuilding is a way of life, don't do it just because you want to get in shape for the summer because that's wrong! And don't be looking to gain everything from one day to the next, this is in the long term.
?To give up? Never. The road is long, but victory is certain.
