I’ll be competing in the Arnold Classic in Ohio (early March) and the Arnold Classic UK (late March), and that means prep is officially starting now — the most demanding, disciplined phase of the entire year.
To document the process, I’m tracking my progress all the way to the stage in a new series of YouTube videos. The first one is live now, and it gives you a look at what the early phase of prep looks like behind the scenes — not just training, but the routines and details that keep everything consistent while the workload ramps up.
In this kickoff episode, I walk through my pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout setup, including the essentials I’m using right now and why they matter. You’ll see exactly how I put together my post-workout shake — carbs + protein + creatine + glutamine — and I explain why digestion becomes a serious priority during prep.
Then we head into the gym for a shoulder session focused on control, volume, and better delt activation — especially for anyone who tends to feel shoulders turn into trap-dominant training. I also explain why I track everything in a notebook, and how small details like electrolytes, salt, and consistency add up over time when you’re trying to bring a physique to the stage.
If you’re new to my background in competitive bodybuilding, I also wrote a guide breaking down how the sport works and how I worked my way up to this level: Competitive Bodybuilding Explained: From My First Show to the Olympia.
Note: This video is in my native Italian, but you can turn on English captions by clicking the CC button on the video (or tapping the settings gear → Subtitles/CC → English).