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Samir Bannout is a former bodybuilder who competed in the 1980s but still maintains a healthy physique.
He’s dubbed by some as 'The Lion From Lebanon'. He won Mr. Olympia, which is one of the top bodybuilding competitions of all time, beating some of the best ever to step on the stage. Bannout is no one-hit wonder, though, and consistency is his forte.
When he’s not training and showing off his physique at the gym, he teaches about health, fitness, and bodybuilding.
Samir Bannout's Workout Routine
Samir Bannout started working out when he was 16, and his passion for bodybuilding only grew from there.
Three years later, he flew to the United States to compete in the Mr. Universe contest. He was the youngest competitor and finished seventh overall. He moved to America soon after to pursue his dream of becoming the greatest bodybuilder in the world.
It’s worth mentioning here that The Lion of Lebanon did not count reps or sets while training. Instead, he trained by feel.
If you're interested in bodybuilding and have the same passion as Bannout, you should stick to a set number of sets and reps—say, 20 reps per set, for three sets—to ensure you continue making progress and measuring your improvement.
Samir Bannout followed a split-training routine, training each muscle group every other day.
On Day 1, he performed four sets of 6-15 reps of front raises with barbell or dumbbells, four sets of 8-20 reps of lateral raises with dumbbells, four sets of 10-20 reps of bent over laterals on cables and ending it with four sets of 6-15 reps of behind the neck presses.
Bannout trained his back muscles on Day 2 by doing 4-5 sets of wide-grip chin-ups and 10-12 reps each of seated cable rows, nautilus machine pullovers, behind-the-neck pulldowns, and one-arm dumbbell rows.
On Day 3, the bodybuilder focused on his legs and calves. He worked with machine leg extensions for eight sets of ten reps, four sets of five reps, leg curls for five sets of ten reps, light straight leg deadlifts for four sets of 8-12 reps, lunges or hack squats for four sets of 8-12 reps, and squats for six sets of 6-15 reps.
On Day 4, he rested and recovered from his intense workouts.
Samir Bannout's Diet
Samir Bannout ate a well-balanced meal. He ate about five to six times a day, with lots of eggs, fruit and vegetables, protein such as fish, chicken or liver and lamb, wine or mineral water, and raw milk yogurt. He would sometimes consume cheese and fresh fruit.
Bannout recommends eating this way:
The first meal of the day should be eggs, fruit and orange juice. For the second meal, he consumed vegetables with oil and vinegar. His third meal consisted of cooked vegetables with protein and fish or chicken. For his fourth meal, it was all cheese, fresh fruit, and raw milk yogurt.
Takeaway
Samir Bannout is an Olympic champion, one of the greatest bodybuilders, and a role model for many. It's not hard to see why: he has made his success look easy, even natural.
Considering his success in the bodybuilding world, his lifestyle is inspiring and motivating for everyone. There are many things that can be learned from him. The appearance of the body is not the only aspect. A healthy and fit body gives energy, which help us do anything at our best.
