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So today I’d like to talk about health and competing and when it’s time to call it quits for a competitive year. The subject of today’s article is none other than Sasan Heirati. Otherwise known simply as Sas. I think nicknames are important, especially for international athletes whose names maybe don’t ring quite as commonly as John Smith or Bob Jones or something like that. I think a nickname is important – although not all competitors have one. For example, look at Derek Lunsford; he’s a past Mr O champion and the current year’s Arnold Classic champion. Lunsford has never had a nickname. That being said, let’s get back to the topic at hand. And that is health and well-being.
Although bodybuilders are supposed to promote a healthy way of eating, coupled with sensible training, and rational supplementation, a lot of that gets lost in the mix. The fact of the matter is as we all know – bodybuilders look their strongest on stage but in reality are their weakest. The woes of caloric manipulation, varying degrees of dehydration, and the implementation of a number of products which may or may not be healthy in the short or long term, can be catastrophic. What little we do know is that the body cannot be subjected to the rigors of contest prep year round. We have seen what happens when an athlete does not come off and continues to beat themselves up in order to look their best on stage. There have been some exceptions to this rule and they are usually genetic freaks. Guys like Darrem Charles and Dexter Jackson are few and far between. Most guys can compete two or three times, at most, per year. And if recent memory does not fail me, there has even been a tradition where the top Olympians only compete once per year.