diet of lazar angelov

diet of lazar angelov

Name:  Lazar Angelov

Age: 27

Height: 180cm 5’11″

Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Weight: 195/207 LBS, 88/94 KG

Occupation: Personal trainer/Fitness model

Achievements:  World’s top 10 Aesthetic Physiques, Nike Sponsored
athlete

When did you get started with fitness?

I got into it when I was really young, maybe 10-years old. Back then I loved watching action movies and I wanted to be like the action heroes in them. I admired Jean-Claude Van Damme, I wanted to be like him when I grow up (laughs). Then I got into basketball and practiced for 8 years, while
lifting weights at the same time. After that I got called to the Army and when I came back from it I was out of shape, due to that 9-month pause. I played 2 or 3 more years for professional teams in our 1st and 2nd Division, but a chronic knee injury limited my performance and around 2005 I retired from basketball for good and the only thing I had left to do was bodybuilding. Soon after that, in 2006, I competed in the National Championship for Classic Bodybuilding and finished 3rd, which was great success for me at the time, given the lack of experience and the short time for preparation I had then. I really believe that persistence and discipline, which my basketball coaches taught me, helped me a lot to develop that quickly in bodybuilding. I have always been very disciplined and have had a professional attitude toward sports. I always put it in front of everything else in my life. And that hasn’t changed!

What drives you to be so fit?

I just love sports, I love to work out and most of all I love to compete. When you are at the gym you compete against yourself and that strengthens your will, I really like that.

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome?

It was very hard for me when I retired from basketball and I wasn’t sure which way to go. I’m happy that I found my vocation.

What is your favorite body part to train?

I love training every muscle group, but if I have to choose I would say chest and legs. I love training hard and heavy; the harder the training, the more I like it.

Do you incorporate much cardio into your training?

I have fast metabolism and I can cut only by going on a diet. I avoid cardio, because with natural athletes like myself if you do too much cardio you will lose muscle mass. So I only do cardio to maintain heart functions in good condition.

Could you tell us about your current training program?

I don’t have a specific schedule; I traind often and heavy. I rest from 2 to 4 days a month. I like basic exercises and heavier weights – this is the only way for a natural athlete like me to maintain decent size. Most people don’t train often, because they are afraid they might overtrain, but I would rather overtrain than feel like I haven’t trained enough. Here is how my split is set up:

Day1:Chest/Abs
Day2:Back/Traps/Forearms
Day3:Shoulders/Abs
Day4:Triceps/Biceps/Forearms
Day5:Legs/Abs

What does your diet look like?

During general period I don’t put almost any restrictions on myself. I try to eat every 2 hours and to take at least 35 grams of protein with every meal. I don’t put almost any limits on carbs, because my physique is a mix between ectomorph and mesomorph and for me the most important thing is to not miss any meals. When I do, I feel loss of muscle mass, even when I have missed only 1 or 2 meals in one day. I eat a lot of chicken, salmon, rice, raw nuts, fruits and vegetables. Those are the main foods that I eat. When I start cutting everything goes very fast, I do it in stages, as I only use ketogenic diet the last week, when I want to get rid of the last remaining fats and to go down to about 3% body fat. When I start the diet I am usually around 10-12% body fat and it takes me about a month to go down to 3%.

Do you Take Any Supplements?

I use a lot of supplements. Products that I take are Whey Protein; my choice for it is Gold Standard by Optimum Nutrition due to the low percentage of carbs. I tried Syntha-6 by BSN before, but it caused me to hold a lot of water. I use BCAA and Glutamine all the time during the day. Also, I take Fish Oil all the time. I increase the intake of Fish Oil when I go on a low-carbs diet; that helps me keep my hormonal system at a good level, while on a low-calories intake and in order to have strength when training. At the moment I am taking N’GAGE by Axis Labs; this is an intraworkout product, which contains BCAA, Glutamine and Vitamin B6. I am really happy with it, because it’s much more convenient to have a concentrated drink than it is to take tabs.

What is your biggest “Fitness” accomplishment?

My biggest accomplishment is that I am able to share my experience with people and help them achieve their goals. Also, my sponsorship contract with Nike is a great achievement for me. I’m glad there is someone to recognize the hard work I put in. Right now I’m working harder than ever, so I really hope I will have more success in the future.

Is there anyone in the fitness industry that you look up to?

I like Ulisses Jr.’s physique. In my opinion he has the most aesthetic body in the world and is probably my biggest competition in that category.

Final Advice For Readers?

My advice would be to not use anabolic steroids. I have achieved my current form without them, so I would recommend everyone else to try to do the same. I don’t want to get any bigger, so I don’t think I will ever take them. And if people have the same goals that I do, then they should try to achieve them without steroids.