Problems are part of every journey. The way you respond to them is what shapes the person you become.
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New YouTube Video: Back Day And The Mindset Behind Better Training
My latest YouTube video is now live, and this one is a little different because it’s entirely in English.
I take you through one of my back workouts as I continue preparing for my next competition, but the video is about much more than simply moving weight. Throughout the session, I explain why I believe muscle activation, proper technique, mobility, and creating the right stimulus are far more important than letting your ego choose the weight on the machine. One of the messages I repeat is simple: train more with your brain and less with your ego.
I also share an update on my current physique as I wrap up my lean bulk and begin preparing for my next show, currently planned for August 22, 2026 in California. After spending much of last year traveling around the world, it’s been refreshing to stay home in Italy for this phase of preparation and focus completely on training, nutrition, and recovery.
Check out the video below and be sure to drop a comment letting me know what areas of the body you’d like me to focus on next! Please also consider subscribing to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already.
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Training With Matteo Rivellini And Team Vitality
I recently had the opportunity to spend the day at Muscleworks with Matteo Rivellini and Team Vitality, where we filmed an episode of Project Vitality together. It was a great experience because it wasn’t just another workout video — it was an opportunity to exchange ideas about training, coaching, and the principles that have shaped my approach to bodybuilding over the years.
Throughout the session, we talked about topics that I think every serious lifter should understand. We discussed why every athlete needs an individualized training program, why proper technique and controlled execution matter more than simply moving heavier weight, and how creating the right stimulus for a muscle is often more important than chasing numbers on the bar. We also explored the role genetics play in bodybuilding, how I balance traditional training methods with new research, and why I believe bodybuilding should be approached as a long-term lifestyle rather than something that ends when your competitive career is over.
One subject that came up repeatedly was longevity.
I’ve always believed the goal isn’t simply to build as much muscle as possible. I want to stay healthy, mobile, energetic, and functional throughout my life. Bodybuilding has given me incredible opportunities, but I also want it to be something that continues adding value to my life for decades to come. That philosophy influences many of the decisions I make today, both inside and outside the gym.
The entire conversation was recorded in Italian, since Matteo’s audience is primarily in Italy. If you’re learning Italian, here’s your chance to combine language practice with bodybuilding! 🇮🇹💪
A second episode is already planned for the end of July, and I’m looking forward to sharing that with you as well. In the meantime, you can check out the video below.
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What Bodybuilders Mean When They Talk About “Clean Eating”
One phrase people hear constantly in fitness is “clean eating.”
At first, the term can sound confusing because it makes people wonder whether certain foods are considered “dirty,” unhealthy, or completely forbidden. In reality, most bodybuilders use the phrase much more casually than that.
When people in bodybuilding describe foods as “clean,” they are usually referring to foods that are simple, minimally processed, predictable nutritionally, and easy to structure into a consistent diet.
Foods like:
- chicken breast
- rice
- eggs
- potatoes
- oats
- Greek yogurt
- vegetables
- lean beef
- fruit
These foods tend to provide protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals without a huge amount of extra ingredients, sugar, oils, or calories added unpredictably.
One reason bodybuilders gravitate toward these foods is consistency.
If you eat similar foods regularly, it becomes much easier to manage calorie intake, digestion, recovery, energy levels, and body composition over time. The body responds well to routine in many cases.
At the same time, I think the phrase “clean eating” sometimes becomes too extreme online.
Some people start treating food morally, as if eating one dessert or restaurant meal suddenly ruins progress completely. That mentality can become unhealthy very quickly.
I’ve always believed there should still be room for flexibility and enjoyment in life outside strict prep periods. A structured diet works best when it feels sustainable instead of emotionally exhausting.
Most people also do not need to eat like a professional bodybuilder preparing for a competition.
For the average person, “clean eating” usually just means building most meals around quality protein sources, simple carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables while limiting excessive processed foods consistently over time.
It does not require perfection.
I think nutrition becomes much easier once people stop searching for magical foods and start focusing more on simple habits repeated consistently.
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Sculpting Sunday: Why I Never Stop Learning
One of my favorite moments in my latest YouTube video didn’t happen during a heavy set or a physique check.
It happened during a conversation.
While training at Muscleworks in England, I met up with my friend and mentor, Sav, to discuss the feedback I had recently received from judges at the Arnold Sports UK competition. They told me something I already suspected: my front poses are one of my strongest assets. My chest, shoulders, and overall front presentation immediately catch the eye.
But bodybuilding is a sport of balance.
When I turn around, the judges want to see more thickness and three-dimensionality in my back. My back isn’t weak, but at the highest levels of bodybuilding, you’re no longer chasing weaknesses. You’re chasing harmony. Small differences can separate first place from fifth.
That’s why I wanted Sav’s perspective.
One of the things I’ve always respected about him is that he doesn’t immediately jump to “train harder.” He thinks about why a muscle is developing the way it is.
During our conversation, he pointed out something I hadn’t fully considered. My lower traps naturally dominate many of my pulling movements. Because they’re so strong, they tend to take over, preventing other areas of my back from doing as much of the work as they should.
His advice wasn’t simply to add more volume. It was to become more intentional.
Instead of thinking about “training my back” as one large muscle group, he encouraged me to think about the individual muscles that make up the back and choose exercises that allow each one to do its job. He also emphasized minimizing momentum and focusing on controlled movement, allowing the target muscle — not body movement or leverage — to perform the work.
One comparison he made really stayed with me.
He described building muscle like reading a book.
You don’t skip from the first page to the last and expect to understand the story. You move through it page by page. Muscle development works the same way. Fiber by fiber. Rep by rep. Workout by workout. Some chapters come more easily because of genetics. Others require much more patience.
That perspective resonated with me because bodybuilding has taught me that progress is almost never dramatic in the moment. It comes from making hundreds of small decisions correctly over a very long period of time.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout my career is that asking for advice isn’t a sign of weakness.
I coach people myself, and I genuinely enjoy helping others avoid mistakes that took me years to understand. But that doesn’t mean I stop looking for guidance in my own journey.
Some of the best athletes in the world continue surrounding themselves with knowledgeable people because they understand that experience is something you never outgrow. No matter how much you’ve accomplished, someone else may notice something you’ve overlooked or explain a concept in a way that changes your entire approach.
That’s exactly what happened during this conversation.
As I continue my road towards building a better physique, my goal isn’t simply to train harder. It’s to train smarter, stay open to learning, and keep refining the details that separate a good physique from the best physique I’m capable of building.
If you’d like to watch the full discussion with Sav — and see the training session that went along with it — you can find it in my latest YouTube video.
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Saturday Selfie: Weekend Check-In
Feeling good, staying focused, and getting ready for another productive week. Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend.
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A Throwback Recipe: My Birthday Pancake
A few years ago, I shared a simple recipe on YouTube that I like to call my Birthday Pancake. It’s a high-protein pancake that fits well into a structured nutrition plan and is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients.
Here’s the recipe exactly as I shared it.
Ingredients
- 300 g egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- Oatmeal (or oat flour)
- Flavor drops (optional)
- Optional: a leavening agent (such as baking soda) and a little lemon juice
Method
Start by whipping the egg whites until stiff.
Once the egg whites reach the right consistency, gently add the oatmeal and flavor drops. Mix slowly, using movements from the bottom up, being careful not to break down the egg whites.
If you want the pancake to be even softer, you can add a small amount of baking soda or another leavening agent, along with a bit of lemon juice.
Preheat a non-stick pan or casserole on low heat and pour in the batter. After about five minutes, crack one whole egg into the center of the pancake.
Continue cooking over low heat for around 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm enough to turn. Flip it carefully and cook the other side until done.
Toppings
Once cooked, you can finish the pancake with:
- Zero-sugar sauces
- Peanut butter, if it fits within your nutrition plan
Simple ingredients, careful preparation, and patience on low heat are the key elements of this recipe.
Buon pancake, amici miei. 🥞💪
View the original YouTube video below, and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos!
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YouTube Video: Road to Prime
My latest YouTube video is now on-line. In it, I bring you with me to the gym to go through a chest and biceps workout, and I chat with my mentor Sav from Muscleworks, where I receive valuable tips on how to build my best condition yet.
Be sure to check it out below! And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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Saturday Selfies: Ready to Train
Every workout starts long before the first set. A few minutes to get focused, loosen up, and prepare for what’s ahead. Progress is built one session at a time.
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Coming Soon: Road To Prime
The work doesn’t stop after stepping off the stage.
In my next YouTube video, I take you behind the scenes as I begin making the adjustments that will shape my “Road to Prime” — achieving my best condition yet. I’ll share the feedback I received after one of the biggest competitions of the season, the changes I’m making to my training, and why bringing up a weak point can make all the difference at the highest level of bodybuilding.
You’ll also come along for a chest and biceps workout, hear an insightful conversation with my mentor, Sav from Muscleworks, and get an inside look at how my preparation continues to evolve.
I’ll be sharing the full video soon. In the meantime, here’s a glimpse of what you’ll see. And, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you’ll be the first to catch the video when it goes live!
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The Journey Behind The Results
Over the years, many of you have followed my bodybuilding journey through competition photos, training videos, and updates from different stages of my career. You’ve seen the victories, the setbacks, and many of the moments that happened in the spotlight.
But there has always been another side to that journey.
In my latest video on my Italian-focused Instagram page, where I’ve recently begun sharing training content for my audience in Italy and across Europe, I explain why I started this new series. The goal isn’t simply to show workouts or highlight results. It’s to share everything that happens behind the scenes — the part of the journey that often has the greatest impact, but receives the least attention.
Before bodybuilding, I spent time in athletics, soccer, volleyball, basketball, skiing, and powerlifting. Looking back over more than 16 years of training, I’ve come to believe that victories tell only a small part of the story.
The real value of this lifestyle is found in the difficult moments. The setbacks. The losses. The mistakes. The days when progress stalls and you have to decide whether you’re going to keep moving forward anyway. Winning a competition is an incredible personal achievement, but it doesn’t define you nearly as much as the person you become while working toward that goal.
That’s what I hope to share through this series.
If I could go back and start my journey again, I would have loved to have someone beside me who could explain the lessons they learned through experience — the mistakes to avoid, the mistakes worth making, and the perspective that only comes from spending years under the bar.
Since this series is intended primarily for my audience in Italy and across Europe, the videos are recorded in my native Italian. But even if you don’t understand Italian, I think you’ll get value from watching the videos.
Check out my latest video here on Instagram. And if you’re not already subscribed to my EU/Italian Instagram channel, please consider subscribing!
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Saturday Selfie: On the Road
I’m back in Italy, driving on familiar roads. 🇮🇹
No matter how much I travel, there’s always something special about coming home. Time to enjoy the roads, catch up with family and friends, and recharge before the next adventure.
My main Instagram profile is still having technical issues, unfortunately. In the meantime, please consider following my Italian Instagram profile, where I am continuing to post regular updates. As always, thank you for your support.
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The Treadmill: More than Just Cardio
The treadmill probably isn’t the first piece of equipment people associate with bodybuilding.
Most people picture barbells, dumbbells, squat racks, and heavy machines. Those are definitely where much of the work happens. But if you’ve ever watched competitors during contest prep, you’ve probably noticed another machine getting a lot of attention: the treadmill.
I’ve spent more hours on treadmills than I can count.
Not because I particularly enjoy them, but because they serve a purpose.
One thing I’ve learned is that the treadmill becomes whatever you need it to be.
Sometimes it’s a tool for burning extra calories during prep. Sometimes it’s simply a way to get moving after a long day of traveling or sitting on airplanes. Other times it’s where I clear my head before or after a workout.
Walking on a treadmill isn’t glamorous, but it gives you time to think.
There aren’t many distractions. You settle into a rhythm, your mind slows down, and you have space to process things that are easy to ignore when life gets busy. I’ve planned future competitions, reflected on difficult decisions, and solved more than a few problems while walking at an incline.
It has become a surprisingly productive part of my day.
I also think people underestimate how valuable walking can be.
Fitness doesn’t always have to mean pushing yourself to exhaustion. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is choose an activity you can recover from quickly and repeat consistently. Walking places very little stress on the joints, helps with recovery, burns calories, and is something almost everyone can do regardless of their fitness level.
That consistency is powerful.
During contest prep, the treadmill also becomes a lesson in patience.
There are no shortcuts. You simply put one foot in front of the other for the time you’ve planned. Some days the minutes seem to pass quickly. Other days you’re watching the clock, wondering if it’s broken.
You finish anyway.
In some ways, that mirrors bodybuilding itself. Progress often comes from doing simple things repeatedly, even when they aren’t especially exciting.
The treadmill may never be the most popular machine in the gym.
But over the years, it’s quietly become one of the places where I’ve done some of my best thinking, developed more discipline, and taken one more small step toward my goals.
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Notice about Instagram Profile
Unfortunately, I am currently experiencing an issue with my official Instagram profile and I am unable to access it at the moment.
If you need to contact me, please reach out through my EU profile or, if you have my number, directly via WhatsApp.
I am already working to resolve the situation and hope to regain access as soon as possible.
If any of my followers have direct contacts with Instagram or Meta and may be able to assist with recovering access to the account, please feel free to contact me privately.
Thank you all for your support, patience, and for sharing this message.
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Why Stretching Stays In My Training — Even When It’s Tempting To Skip It
Stretching doesn’t get much attention in bodybuilding. It isn’t exciting, there are no personal records attached to it, and it rarely ends up in progress photos. But over the years, it has become one of the most important parts of my routine.
That wasn’t always the case.
Like many people, I used to treat stretching as optional. If I had a good workout, I considered the job done. Stretching was something I would get to later.
Eventually, that mindset catches up with you.
Years of training create strength and muscle, but they also create tightness. Movement becomes more restricted, certain positions feel less comfortable, and exercises stop feeling as smooth as they once did. You can still train hard, but the body starts fighting you more than it should.
That’s where stretching helps.
When I stretch consistently, my range of motion improves, positions feel more stable, and exercises simply feel better. I move more freely and stay connected to the muscles I’m trying to train instead of working around limitations.
There’s also a mental benefit.
Stretching forces you to slow down and pay attention to your body. It helps you recognize areas that are tight, fatigued, or carrying unnecessary tension. That awareness often carries into the rest of the workout.
Most importantly, stretching supports longevity.
Bodybuilding is a long game. The athletes who last are usually the ones who take care of their bodies instead of simply demanding more from them year after year. Stretching is part of that maintenance.
It may never be the most exciting part of training, but it helps me continue training the way I want to train: strong, controlled, and able to keep improving for years to come.
