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Samir Bannout Bodybuilder

Samir Bannout Tribute Page

Samir Bannout Picture

Samir Bannout, was born on November 7, 1955 in Beirut. Samir has made a huge impact on the judging that is done on bodybuilders since his win of the most prestigious medal in professional bodybuilding when he won Mr. Olympia in 1983.It was the first time in the history of bodybuilding that judges has seen what is today called the "Christmas Tree" on the lower back. When Samir first arrived in the USA he was in Detroit Michegan where he competed and finally achieved his Pro-card after winning the light-heavyweight division at the 1979 IFBB World Amateur Championships.

After moving to Santa Monica California he started taking his new professional career seriously and he placed 4th in the 1982 Mr. Olympia. He got the name “The Lion of Lebanon’ and he had a professional bodybuilding career that lasted 17 years.

Samir is 5 ft 8 in or 1.73 m tall and comes into a competition totally ripped to shreds at around 195 lb or 88 kg. It was his ability to get his body-fat low enough to show his very well developed "Christmas Tree" on his lower back that has changed the way bodybuilders are judged forever.

Samir set a new standard for other bodybuilders to follow and he was living proof of the importance of competing at the lowest body-fat one can achieve in a healthy way. Samir was inducted into the IFBB hall of Fame in 2002 and he now lives with his wife and three kids in Los Angeles.

Samir Bannout Workout

He explains that amongst the complex issues around losing body-fat and reducing the water retention under the skin. He said trial and error taught him about reducing sodium because he discovered that somehow his aldosterone level increases.

He explains that over-training is something that holds many bodybuilders back because they are not getting enough rest. He says this leads to excessive cortisol and adrenal and hormonal reactions that make the fluid go from the intercellular to the subcutaneous space.

On training Samir explains that his back is still his best part-part and the one he enjoys most when training. He said that his time competing as an Olympic Weightlifter where he did the Clean and Jerk is what strengthened his lower back to demonstrate the famous Christmas Tree.

Samir explains that Chin-ups and bent-over rows will build any back if the movement is performed correctly. He says that when he was at his best he could do 25 chin-ups with 40 pounds strapped on his waist. Like most professional bodybuilders he says that always changing your workout is key to increasing the muscle mass that you have.

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