Nasser el Sonbati is a massive polyglot. Joe Weider and Nasser El Sonbati

Two bodybuilding legends have passed away: Nasser El Sonbati and the “father of bodybuilding” Joe Weider.

Famous bodybuilder Nasser El Sonbati(born October 16, 1965 - died March 20, 2013) - professional bodybuilder, polyglot. He is also the most muscular professor and father of two children. 47 years...
The exact causes of death are still unknown; they seem to have written that it was due to renal failure.

Nasser El Sonbati born October 15, 1965 in Stuttgart (Germany). Half Egyptian, half Croatian - perhaps that is why Nasser grew up as a very capable child. They say that mixing of blood is almost always successful. The boy studied very well, realizing that education is the only “ticket to a big life.” Excellent completion of the gymnasium allowed him to continue his studies at the University of Augsburg, where he studied sociology, political economy and history.

Sonbati was called one of the most colorful figures in bodybuilding - and for good reason! Nasser is the owner of not only an excellent muscular form, but also scientific degrees in history, political science and sociology. In addition, the athlete spoke seven languages ​​fluently.

Sonbati began playing sports as a child. Football, rowing, swimming, wrestling - the future bodybuilder grew up as a truly active child. But he didn’t like bodybuilding at all in his teenage years. But already becoming a student, he got involved in training, a couple of times, out of pure interest, dropping into the nearest gym. I became interested in bodybuilding in 1983. As it turns out later, he will fall in love with this sport. But despite this love, Nasser El Sonbati was one of the small number of professional athletes who care about their health. According to him, he would never train at such an intensity that could seriously harm the body. And he is right - after all, if there is no health, then no matter what the title is (even Mr. Olympia), he will not be able to bring true pleasure from his presence. According to Nasser, the most valuable thing in life is health (your own and that of your loved ones). According to the bodybuilder, without such capital as health, you cannot accumulate anything else. That is why he never risked his health for the sake of a sports career.
But I couldn’t protect myself... :(

Nasser turned out to be naturally gifted - his muscles began to grow by leaps and bounds! A little later, the desire came to him to take part in competitions held in Germany - he was already “ripe” for this. But, unfortunately, then Nasser El Sonbati was defeated. Many might have thought that this would break the guy and he would leave classes for a long time, but this did not happen. Sonbati continued his movement and decided to prove that he was the best. In 1989, the athlete went to the Mr. Yugoslavia tournament. This is where real triumph awaited him - he became an IFBB professional.

Since 1990, he has won victories or prizes in international competitions. In 1994, Nasser took part in the “Night of Champions” competition and took 2nd place, unable to beat Mike Francos, with whom, by the way, he would have friendly relations in the future. After such an event, the athlete’s name began to appear in newspapers and magazines, and they started talking about him on television. This was, of course, pleasant, but Sonbati was given much greater pleasure by his small discovery - now he can become a full participant in the prestigious Mr. Olympia tournament. He did not miss his chance and in the same 1994 he entered the fight for the main title, but took only 7th place. In 1999 he won the Arnold Classic. For several years he was listed in the IFBB elite “clip”, which in itself is a great achievement, and not titles or medals at all, as one might think. The fact is that these days professional sports require superhuman dedication.
Sonbati tried more than once to become first at Mr. Olympia, but he did not succeed. And in 1996, after a series of triumphant performances (in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Russia), a very unpleasant event occurred - a diuretic was discovered in Nasser’s blood, for which he was disqualified.
Despite the fact that Nasser El Sonbati was never able to become Mr. Olympia, he still remained in the history of sports as an athlete with a capital A.
“Europe Supershow 2005” is the last competition in which the athlete took part. Then he took 14th place.

The current professional bodybuilding has lost a lot in the person of Sonbati. Personality with a capital P - and that says it all. It’s not for nothing that not a single self-respecting Kachkov magazine can do without his photographs or articles about him, and Nasser has already appeared on the cover of Flex five times! The fact that Sonbati is one of the most prominent figures in the world of pros is recognized even by the “Austrian Oak” Arnold Schwarzenegger, who fired many critical arrows at modern pros.
And the point here is not even Sonbati’s education and intelligence, his ability to communicate with people. Among other things, Sonbati was interesting because his judgments were sharp and frank and often diverged from generally accepted ones. For example, he refused to be the subject of a popular traditional column in Flex magazine, which provides biographical information about professional champions, as well as their answers to the questions: “What is your favorite color, what is your favorite car,” etc. “I don’t give a damn what the color of my car,” said Sonbati, “black, red or white. And I don’t have a favorite movie. And I don’t have a favorite anything at all. I don’t want to repeat after someone, like a parrot, that my favorite vacation spot is Hawaii. "I've been to Hawaii ten times, it's just boring. And in general, people are interested in their own passions, and not mine or anyone else's."
But that’s not all: being one of the greatest athletes of our time, Sonbati openly admitted his hatred of iron: “When you are at the beginning of the path and work with light weights, all this is a joy, but when you are forced to hang weights in pursuit of mass more and more weights on the bar, when you have three centners on your shoulders, you only think about how to quickly complete the workout and rush away from this damned gym! It sounds a little unusual, but it’s frank. And this is what Sonbati is all about.

In addition to the fact that Nasser was the owner of prominent muscles, in a world far from professional sports, he had scientific degrees in history, political science and sociology. But that's not all... Nasser El Sonbati was a real polyglot, capable of speaking 7 languages, and he did it with such ease that it seemed as if nature had endowed him with these qualities from birth.

In recent years, the athlete lived in San Diego, California.

Rest in peace!

Victory
1995 Houston Pro Invitational
1995 Night of Champions
1996 Grand Prix Czech Republic
1996 Grand Prix Russia
1996 Grand Prix Switzerland
1999 Arnold Classic

Second and third places
1993 III. Grand Prix France
1993 III. Grand Prix Germany
1994 II. Night of Champions
1995 III. Grand Prix France
1995 III. Grand Prix Germany
1995 III. Grand Prix Russia
1995 III. Grand Prix Spain
1995 III. Grand Prix Ukraine
1995 III. Mr. Olympia
1996 II. Grand Prix UK
1996 II. Grand Prix Germany
1996 III. Grand Prix Spain
1997 II. Arnold Classic
1997 III. Grand Prix Czech Republic
1997 III. Grand Prix UK
1997 II. Grand Prix Germany
1997 II. Grand Prix Hungary
1997 III. Grand Prix Russia
1997 II. Grand Prix Spain
1997 II. Mr. Olympia
1997 II. San Jose Pro Invitational
1998 II. Arnold Classic
1998 III. Grand Prix UK
1998 III. Grand Prix Germany
1998 III. Mr. Olympia

Joseph Edwin "Joe" Wider (Joe Weider; genus. November 29, 1919 - died. March 23, 2013, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is an outstanding Canadian-American trainer, founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) and the Mr. Olympia competition.

There is hardly a single bodybuilding fan who does not know the name Joe Weider. The great teacher of many champions such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, Frank Zane, Lee Haney, Rick Wayne, the founder of a huge bodybuilding empire with a starting capital of only 7 dollars - all this is Joe Weider...

The story began in the 30s of the last century, when two brothers born in the Jewish quarter of Montreal (Joe and Ben Wider) began to get involved in yard fights. The puny boys almost never achieved victory, and Joe quickly realized that the only way to avoid defeat was to become stronger. But what to do if you are not naturally endowed with heroic strength, and it is almost impossible to get dumbbells?

Joe began to come up with his own way of training - he brought an axle from a steam locomotive from a nearby landfill, attached to it wheels from a trolley found there, and began to train with such an improvised barbell. The results were not long in coming - Joe soon became the winner of local weight lifting competitions. People started asking Joe how he achieved such success. Questions poured in from all sides - from acquaintances and strangers, by mail and when meeting on the street.

The young man decided to answer everyone at once. At the age of seventeen, Joe published an article in Your Physique magazine where he talked about his training methods and the proper way to build muscle mass. The magazine was subsequently renamed Muscle Builder and then Muscle & Fitness.

In the post-war years, Joe, along with his brother Ben Weider ( Ben Weider) was actively involved in the promotion of bodybuilding. The cinematograph provided them with considerable help. After bodybuilders began appearing in films, a strong, muscular body became firmly in fashion.

The Wider brothers founded the International Federation of Bodybuilders in 1946 in Montreal. In 1965, Joe Weider organized the Mr. Olympia competition. By that time, the competitions “Mr. America”, “Mr. World” and “Mr. Universe” already existed. But the rules prohibited athletes who had won these titles once from participating in these competitions again. It was for such winners, who had not yet fully realized their potential, that Wider organized Olympia.
The competition was created to help the winners of the Mr. Universe contest ( “Mr. Universe") continue training and earn money. Joe subsequently trained such famous bodybuilders as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Colombo, Frank Zane, Louis Ferrigno, Larry Scott and Lee Haney.
After bodybuilding gained popularity among women, Joe organized the Miss Olympia competition. The first competitions were held in 1980.

Joe also founded Weider Publications, which publishes fitness magazines such as Mr America, Muscle Power, Shape, Men's Fitness, Living Fit, Prime Health and Fitness, Fit Pregnancy", "Cooks", "Senior Golfer" and "Flex". In the late 1990s, Weider Publications was sold to American Media.
In addition, Joe Weider wrote a series of books about his methods called “The Weider System of Bodybuilding”.
The Wider brothers turned bodybuilding from an unpopular hobby into a real cult, building an entire empire that included magazines, sports nutrition factories, clothing factories and much more. Joe's interests include more than just bodybuilding. For example, he was fond of collecting antiques.

Weider became the "father" of bodybuilding. And thereby changed the fate of millions of boys, and often adults, who gained strength not only in body, but also in spirit, as well as health, self-confidence and a willingness to overcome difficulties.

Interview before AK 2010.

Nasser El Sonbati will go down in history as the man who introduced extreme mass into bodybuilding while maintaining the aesthetic quality of his physique.

Since Nasser was an outspoken champion, he was deprived of much success, as many believe he should have won the Mr. Olympia title several times.

But he won one significant tournament, the Arnold Classic. The clear winner of this show, Nasser, became the talk of the town. He combined gigantic size and excellent symmetry that made him one of the most popular bodybuilders of those times.

Q: Nasser, how does your Arnold win compare to your other wins?

The Arnold Classic is the second most important show after the Olympia. The third “challenging” show was Night of Champions held in New York, which I also won (1995). But Night of Champions no longer exists since great promoter Wayne DeMiglia left the IFBB circus. Yes, from the circus, not the organization (circus and organization are similar words in English circus, circuit). Successor

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The show Night of Champions is a show by Steve Weinberger - New York Pro that he created a couple of years ago. However, as a former newspaper truck driver, he suffers from anger and behavioral problems. A bad show and a bad promoter who needs to manage his anger and swear and threaten less. I finally won the Arnold Classic hosted by Mr. Jim Lorimer - a very good man in 1999 after finishing second to Flex Wheeler every time in 1998 and 1997. Finally the judges let me win in 1999. I was experiencing drains of energy as well as motivation because that I have competed in every Olympia since 1994, as well as most of the post-Olympic shows in Europe. It is very important to have the Arnold Classic title under your belt to be recognized as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Another very interesting fact is that I am the only person who won the Arnold Classic (1989-2009 which is held once a year for 21 years) who was born in Europe and was not a former NPC participant.

Q: Were you at your best when you won the Arnold Classic title?

No, I don't think I was at my best at the 1999 Arnold Classic. Yes, I was definitely the heaviest of all the shows, but not in the best shape. I think I've looked better in most post-Olympic shows over the years compared to the 1999 Arnold Classic. I entered the 1999 Arnold weighing 290 pounds. However, many people in general, and especially in bodybuilding, did not pay attention to this. They don't remember my best performances on shows outside the United States. Also, many people think that only American Pro shows are important. And many are still too young and stupid to understand this. I was here (Columbus, Ohio) in 1999 for the third time in a row to compete and win this title, which is close to the title of World Champion. I have not seen anyone better in 1999 who could have been the clear winner. I think the judges couldn't help but notice my absolute dominance that day on the show. I also didn't like the fact that the "Most Muscular" title was stolen from me. How could Kevin Levrone win that title that day? And how could Flex Wheeler receive this title in previous years? Wheeler, with the same height as me, was 22 kilograms lighter and less muscular than me and the rest of the competitors. Wheeler was tougher in the back. But he is narrow and has very soft hamstrings and little muscle for his growth. His arms overtook the development of the chest, shoulders, and width in the lat position in front. I'm not trying to insult the Sultan of Symmetry and the Arnold Classic record holder but please understand that everyone has weaknesses. I'm talking about top-class muscle groups. Wheeler and the other 10 tallest bodybuilders had to be born a couple of centuries ago so that experts would not say anything bad about them. Most of the guys who try to disgrace the best bodybuilders are simpletons with a lack of common sense and physical and mental complexes that they would like to hide. You also need to take into account that Wheeler and Levroni are former NPC champions and all the judges pay attention to this. Because of this, Levroni won the Most Muscular title at the 1999 Arnold Classic.

Q: What key moments do you remember, Nasser, about Arnold 1999, on stage and off?

In fact, there were many different things there. The funniest thing was that while Levroni was competing on stage, his underpants were worn backwards to front. Then he was already confident in his victory and told Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger about how he consumes fish by the truckload. Only later during the Pose-down did I realize that there was also the square Mister Jay Cutler on stage. I hadn’t noticed it before, or let’s say better, I hadn’t noticed: “Little Red Riding Hood.” I named Mister Jay Cutler that because the only muscle group he had was his red, blood-filled face. I only saw competition from Mr. Cormier and Mr. Levroni. Not only because they looked great, but also because they were members of the United States being judged by judges from the United States. Another thing I noticed while looking from the stage at the judges' panel was that the judges were laughing hysterically and making jokes while athletes like Roland Kickinger and Jeff Long were performing. If you compete long enough as a pro you can often see what the judges do. From the stage I saw how the judges looked, looked too long at each other's scores. I prepared for the show with the goal of winning. By that time I already had a reputation as a person who says what he thinks. Sean Ray was the only guy whose tongue the judges were afraid of and they often rewarded him even for sarcastic words; this they wanted to show that there were no punishments even after his words towards the judges. I told myself: if I win the Arnold Classic, it's a sign that they will never let me win the Olympia. If you've ever wondered how many guys have won the Arnold Classic and Olympia? Only Cutler, Dexter Jackson and Ronnie Coleman. So I had mixed feelings preparing for Arnold. Also, almost all Arnold Classic participants use diuretics in preparation for the show, I would say 95 percent. They used diuretics that were just removed from the list of prohibited drugs to make the second most important tournament “clean”. I also remember a guy I respect is Vince Taylor, the uncrowned Mr. Olympia. Not only was his body one of the best, but he was also polite, helpful, and calm. Vince is a smart man - despite his many victories (almost 25 pro victories!) - he has had victories taken away from him many times because he is not a brown-noser.

Q: And for you, Nasser, the Arnold Classic was the impetus for winning the Mr. Olympia title, many believe that you should have won it at least twice?

in the 90s the goal as a serious pro competitor was to win the Night of Champions. There were great winners at this tournament before me such as: Benaziza, Yates, Levroni. The next step was the goal of winning Mr. Olympia or Arnold Classic. But “they” gave Yates a foothold at the Olympia, and so to make money, even more money and gain fame, you can try to win the Arnold Classic. In this way, you can compensate for the loss at Olympia, at least financially, because if you look back, there was no way to remove the current Mr. Olympia while he was competing. Regarding Yates, people say that even in a wheelchair he would win with excellent points. And it is true. Unfair refereeing would allow it. And if someone like me said this, they would make him guilty. And so the title was stolen from Levroni, Shawn Ray, and me. Wheeler never received the title either.

If Yates had risen in the rankings as slowly as I did, he would never have become Mr. Olympia. And also many would defeat him in the process! But the goal was to establish the white Englishman as the invincible and irrepressible champion. But Yeats, with his English name, was in the right place at the right time. Manion and company no longer wanted to see a black Mr. Olympia like the 8x Lee Haney after Yates. For the industry, blacks bring in less money than whites. If you win the Arnold Classic, theoretically it should bring you closer to winning the Olympia, but in my case it turned out the opposite. Levroni, Wheeler and I understood this. By letting you win the Arnold Classic, dishonest judges seemed to say to you: “Bye Olympia, Bye, Bye!” This later changed with a new white hope - Jem Cutler. And then they also did it with Dexter Jackson so it looked like it didn't matter what color the champion was.

Q: Nasser Exactly how much did you weigh at that Arnold Classic, and what improvements did you make over the years to win?

I think my weight was somewhere around 131 kilograms. I don't know if I improved from previous shows. I took pharmaceuticals in the same way as other participants, I used Insulin, GH, Ephedrine, Caffeine. But I have never taken amphetamines, nubaines, ketamines and cocaine. I also used Esiclene but not Synthol because I think Esiclene is more effective. I'm just telling you what I took and what I didn't. Only idiots, people who don't understand bodybuilding and people who don't like bodybuilding (because they are jealous) try to humiliate athletes who use synthol. If someone thinks that this will help in achieving high places, this should be done. Also at the 1999 Arnold, my friend Chad Nichols came into my hotel room and suggested I carb load my baby food, I took his advice and guess what, it worked well. Besides, Chad is a very nice and smart guy. And if someone receives advice or help from him and it doesn’t help him, then Chad is not to blame. He doesn’t know what you are doing besides his advice and what you “forgot” to tell him. He is also not a Mom to adult performing athletes. All I'm saying is that it's not Chad's fault that Dennis Wolf came in last at the 2009 Olympia.

Q: To most people here, you were the clear winner at the 1999 Arnold Classic. What was it about your physique that influenced the judges and they gave the title to you?

Of course, consistency in your performances is important. Improvements also play a role. I was full, hard and massive, I just crushed everyone on stage.

As a rule, when competing in the USA, I came out on the podium 5 kilograms lighter than in Europe. From experience I knew that they liked to underestimate me even though I was not in the best shape. Others were allowed to appear in poor condition, as for me, I had to always be in excellent shape for the result to be good. Also, I’m not the person who calls “them” and reminds them of themselves. This has been the reality for so many years. However, I decided to be as big and tough as possible. And I decided that in 2000 I would not return to the Arnold if they did not let me win in 1999. I thought they wanted and could put me second or third. But Mr. Jim Manion and Mr. Wayne DeMiglia talked to their colleagues and they did their job. I could also follow the path of Chris Cormier, who finished second six times in a row (2000-2005). Again, I deserved to win this show without any doubt, but in bodybuilding the strongest does not always win. Only the naive and those who believe in fairy tales think that everything happens as it should.

Q: The last time you competed at the Arnold, was everything as you expected? What key moments do you remember about this event?

My last performance at the Arnold Classic was 2002. Compared to previous performance, I didn't look good. I wasn't tough enough, I wasn't big enough, and I didn't have the motivation. It's not easy to become a professional, I became one in 1990 and it's impossible to perform and perform and perform year after year and stay motivated. A bodybuilder is not a machine into which chemicals and protein are thrown, from which you can always expect maximum output. I had absolutely no motivation for this show. I was going through divorce proceedings and also had abscesses on my deltoids and forearms. These abscesses were getting bigger and bigger by that time. These abscesses are the result of local anabolic steroid injections over the years. Some hit the buttocks, calves, quads, and back, while others don't. To prevent the appearance of these abscesses, you need not only to change the injection sites, but also to have different people give them to you: a friend, partner, wife, girlfriend, and also massage in these places. I'm outraged why even former professionals like the little boy Shawn Ray made the stupid statement that it was traces of synthol use, and that that's why I had surgery in 2003. Shawn Ray is only smart to drink with the judges. Before this Arnold Classic, several people massaged my rear delts to ensure proper blood flow. This always helped, but the problem is that the skin tore due to pressure and I began to bleed. So at night, when I slept on my back, the whole sheet was soaked in blood, and it began to bleed even more when I got up. It was painful. But a bodybuilder always goes through pain, it's normal. And of course, on Arnold, my fist-sized red bleeding spot was not only shown on the screen but also enlarged. I was 10th at that Arnold.

Q: Nasser, do you think Arnold Classic has improved over the course of production or in any other aspect?

I can't say anything constructive here because I haven't been to this show for several years. After all these years, there is no incentive for me to even go to this show. 30 years in bodybuilding has made me “less hungry” for competition. I'm tired of looking at tanned faces, smelling protein farts, tired of hearing vows to win the next competition and listening to questions about how to make a good course. Moreover, I have no desire to see other bodybuilders because most of them are too preoccupied with this sport and psychologically belong to this unhealthy area. There must be another factor for me to go there. I don't like winter in Columbus. Another thing that has not yet improved is the referee's thinking. Having competed in so many shows, I still saw the same attitude of individual judges who do everything just to get more money, some leave this circus, they hate each other.. pitting and scheming against each other. For a bodybuilding fan this is certainly not visible. I don't turn my back on all this, but I don't try to be close either. This distance has been good for me for many years. When I remember how a couple of years ago I was “invited” to a meeting of all the former winners. Yes, this is all very cool, but why should I pay for myself there? I was not interested in shaking the sweaty hand of those who make money from me and “reward” me for what I deserved several times more, namely: more victories and fair, civilized treatment. The “invitation” I received was not official and was made by someone in charge. What was the problem? Why didn’t any official write to me? I received an email from a fan saying I was “invited.” I have not received any email or phone call from the IFBB. And to be completely happy, I myself had to look for a hotel room in an already crowded city and pay for the flight myself. For what??? This is not all about money, but because of principle and respect for the athlete. The NFL and other organizations invited their stars at their own expense to the “meeting of the winners.” Seems like an immature attempt by the idiots at the NPC/IFBB to benefit, at least in a physical sense, by bringing all the champions together. By the way, I have nothing more to give to this sport. But bodybuilding owes me something. Or maybe “they” will pay for kidney transplants, new livers, hearts, pancreases, and testosterone therapy for their former stars? Or maybe they’ll just send a one-time meal coupon to each of their super champions? If I give something it is only to good fans, children, Wider, but not to these thieves who chew and spit out IFBB champions. It is also very interesting that I was not even named as a former Arnod Classic champion and my photos were deleted.

Q: Quite a bold statement, Nasser. And what is the positive thing, many athletes consider the Arnold Classic one of the best spectacles today?

Personally, I think Arnold is the best show organizer in the IFBB. This is a very structured event, not only in terms of accommodating participants, but also to make as much profit as possible in Columbus IFBB. This is the biggest show of the entire year. The main difference from other events is that you have a hall that has everything just for this show. It is very spacious and is on one level. It's not as crowded as most shows because there are so many rooms. They also have a team of people who help you with makeup, water, towels, there is even a doctor here. There is also an oxygen tank. Very, very useful things. If you are not familiar with IFBB tournaments in the US or outside you would think that bodybuilders are treated very well. When you enter the Hotel where the participants live, you will also say that everything is well organized. You have both a refrigerator and a microwave in your room. You also have quick and good access to products and every couple of minutes you can take a bus to the EXPO directly from the Hotel, which lasts three days. For the general public, EXPO Olympia lasts only 2 days and the Olympic atmosphere is inferior to that of the Arnold Classic despite the fact that the Arnold is held in the frosty first days of March each year. Many people at this exhibition feel special because Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger is right there and will take a photo with you (for $50 at the time). Then he runs around the EXPO with his security guard and you can look at him. It's funny that people try to blame Lou Ferigno for taking pictures with people for money, but people don't complain about Arnold when he does the same thing for a lot of money. Maybe this makes Arnold greedy for money but not Mr. Ferigno.

Q: Nasser, what did you receive for your victory at the 1999 Arnold Classic?

It's very nice as a winner to receive a Hummer. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive it, this prize was introduced a year later, and I also didn’t receive the expensive watches that people received after me. In return I received a mountain bike and one hundred thousand dollars. We can say that in the following years after 1999, the amount of winnings is more than the Olympic one. Some Arnold champions sold their Hummers to make more money.

Q: What are your views on the level of competition today compared to your era, Nasser?

The lineup for the 2010 Arnod Classic is very impressive. Exceptionally compared to previous years. However, the 90s were the golden era of bodybuilding. I criticize my colleagues, but they looked great compared to me and I don’t argue with that. However, since 2000 we haven't seen another Shawn Ray, Wheeler, Levroni, Yates, Cormier, Dillet, Fuchs, Rhule, Coleman, Priest, Benaziza, Vince Taylor and myself. These guys were the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Today I see only Kai Greene, Martinez, Dexter Jackson and Heath who can be classified as a group of the 90s. And there's nothing on the horizon. There are so many guys who have been competing in NPCs for the last two decades and none of them are great or outstanding at all. I don’t want to be arrogant or humiliate someone’s dignity, but in the 90s there were genetics, some unique images that don’t exist now. This is a fact.

Q: Nasser, who do you think can win the 2010 Arnold Classic and why?

The top three are Green, Heath, Dexter Jackson with Warren, Rockel and Freeman sixth and fifth. The problem, however, is that Mr. Manion does not want to put Warren in the top 3, many people will even say that it was Manion who “put” him in second place at the 2009 Olympia. Also, Warren could be put in fourth to make the top 3 consisting of black guys to reverse the injustice of the 2009 Olympia Tough Warren must be under the impression that he can win the Arnold, otherwise there is no point in participating here. I think that Mr. Manion suggested that he participate so that the top 6 would not be completely black. Rockel is just a small German, even if symmetrical. It does not satisfy any bodybuilding goal. He is cosmetic to compete in the top6. If Rockel is not in shape, then Melvin Anthony will be in the top 6. Freeman was near the target for too long despite excellent data. If Warren is lucky and in good shape, the Heat will be in fourth place and Warren will be in third place. Dexter will do everything possible to get Warren to follow him. If Branch is outside the top 3, it does not mean that he will not enter it at Olympia.

Q: And so Nasser is making predictions. What does your top 6 look like (in order)?

2.Kai Green

3. Heath (still paying the price for calling himself “Dar”, but if Jackson and Green are out of shape, he can win)

4. Warren (White Hope, can be tough, but there are gaps in the structure. He was 2nd at Olympia and this plays a role!)

It should be noted right away that Nasser El Sonbati has always been an extraordinary person. In addition to excellent physical shape and outstanding sports results, this is a person who is striking in his education, which is confirmed by the presence of academic degrees in sociology, political science and history. In addition, Sonbati could always amaze his interlocutor with his fluency in seven languages ​​and was known as the most intelligent athlete, happy to give interviews.

Promising start
Many try to explain the uniqueness of Nasser El Sonbati by his genes, because his father is Egyptian and his mother is Croatian. Is it really a matter of mixed blood, but Nasser already showed extraordinary abilities from childhood. He was born in October 1965 in Stuttgart (Germany) and from an early age was distinguished by a great passion for education and love of sports. While still studying at the gymnasium, which, by the way, he graduated with honors, Nasser found time to play American football, rowing, wrestling and swimming. At the same time, it showed far from the latest results.

Introduction to bodybuilding
He plunged into bodybuilding completely by accident: while a student at the University of Augsburg, he decided to pump himself up because of his passion for American football, because the weight of the player plays an important role in it. For the first six months there were no special results, but without noticing it, Nasser soon became so involved in it that he even completely abandoned his previous hobby.

On the one hand, Nasser El Sonbati recalled that he never forced himself to the point of exhaustion, as many professional bodybuilders did, and on the other hand, he immediately set himself the goal of participating in competitions, for which he prepared with particular persistence.

Professional career
The first amateur competitions in which Nasser El Sonbati took part in Germany did not show any particular results, but this did not break the young athlete. On the contrary, he continued to train with even greater persistence. As a result, already in 1989, after winning the “Mr. Yugoslavia” competition, he received the status of a professional athlete. True, even before 1993, Nasser El Sonbati was unable to show any significant results. Things moved forward when Nasser managed to become one of the top three winners at two Grand Prix at once: in Germany and France. A year later, he made a real splash, taking second place at the 1994 Night of Champions, after which he automatically received a ticket to participate in the main bodybuilding competition, Mr. Olympia. However, there he only got 7th place, which became a great incentive for El Sonbati for new victories. A year later, after a series of stunning victories at the “Night of Champions” and “Houston Pro”, he breaks into the top three medalists at “Mr. Olympia”. A year later, the third again, but this result was subsequently annulled, since El Sonbati’s blood test gave a positive result for prohibited drugs.

Nasser El Sonbati steadfastly pronounced the disqualification verdict: “I played, I took a risk, and I lost. But I won’t cry about it.”

Rise and Fall
In 1997, he was already the second at Mr. Olympia and, it would seem, next year he would definitely become the Champion, but this prophecy was not destined to come true - his plans were destroyed by Ronnie Coleman, who firmly occupied Olympia. Nasser was moved to third place and never rose higher. His last achievement was victory at the Arnold Classic competition in 1999, after which his professional career gradually declined - in 2001 he was only 9th at Mr. Olympia, and at his final performance at the 2005 Europe Supershow he was barely stayed in 14th place.

Bodybuilder gentleman
Professional sports mean a lot of money, and where there is a hint of serious income, the game is not always fair. Scandals are not uncommon at professional level when it is clear that judges openly favor the favorites. Nasser El Sonbati never complained about the refereeing or grumbled about the results, even when the audience noted that he performed much better than his victorious opponents, for which his reputation as a true gentleman was established. However, after a disappointing second place at the Arnold Classic in 1997, he could not stand it and took out his pent-up resentment on the website of Flex Wheeler, who was then recognized as the winner. In a fit of indignation, Nasser then sharply attacked many of his rivals, who, despite obvious shortcomings, managed to win. This outburst of emotions caused a huge resonance: recognition and respect from fans on the one hand, and a mixed reaction from the professional world on the other. But they began to reckon with him.

El Sonbati himself was grateful to professional bodybuilding for allowing him to see the world - during his career he visited so many tournaments in different countries that he can consider himself a real traveler: Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, USA and even Russia is not a complete list of countries where Nasser managed to visit.

Weakness
According to the athlete himself, his only weak point for competition was his back. Nasser El Sonbati explained this mistake by the fact that for a long time he performed only basic back exercises: barbells and dumbbells. Realizing his omission, he constantly tried to make up for lost time with the help of intensive block work. Otherwise, this 120 kilogram muscle mass aroused only admiration and respect, appearing more than once on the covers of reputable men's magazines.

Tragic ending
The most intelligent bodybuilder passed away at the age of 47. He died on March 20, 2013 in the capital of Egypt, Cairo; according to Muslim customs, an autopsy was not performed, but according to the official version, death was caused by acute renal failure. According to one version, the kidneys failed as a result of malaria; according to another, the cause was anabolic steroids, the use of which the famous athlete did not disdain.

I found an interesting article about the death of Nasser and about the approximate course of an Olympia participant.

Sources:
First part of the article.
http://bombela.ru/index.php/news/bodybuilding-news/item/332-nasser-what-happened
Second part of the article.
http://bombela.ru/index.php/articles/pharmacology/cycles-in-details/item/277-olympia-cycle2

The article is for informational purposes only. The course outlined at the end of the article is life-threatening.

Nasser El Sonbati died in his sleep on the morning of March 20. No matter how sad it may sound, the famous bodybuilder was ready for such an outcome - he knew about his incurable illness. What really happened, and where did the 47-year-old athlete’s incurable disease come from? And are anabolic steroids to blame for his death, as some hastened to declare?
Sonbati went to a San Diego clinic last November for breathing problems. A thorough examination revealed that he had congestive heart failure (the inability of the heart to pump the amount of blood needed to support metabolism). In such cases, a heart transplant is required, but it was too late for Nasser to do it - acute renal failure developed against the background of heart failure. Throughout the last months of his life, Sonbati was on hemodialysis. In March, he went to Egypt to spend several days surrounded by the people closest to him - his parents and sister. Surprisingly, he found the strength to give several training lessons in one of the halls in Cairo.
As a matter of fact, we could have limited ourselves to this, wishing once again for the courageous man to rest in peace, if not for one “but.” I was shocked to read this: “We have no kind words to say about him... The abnormal build of bodybuilders encourages young people to use steroid cycles. This destructive attachment of theirs cannot be weakened even by the ending to which Nasser El Sonbati came. So we won't say all these sentimental "rest in peace." Let's just say, “What had to happen happened.”
Nasser El Sonbati has never denied that he took androgens and anabolic steroids, as well as other drugs from the usual arsenal of bodybuilders. That is why some people tried to declare the cause of death the notorious “anabolic steroids”, at the same time turning the athlete’s death into a kind of “propaganda” calling for an even tougher fight against the “steroid infection”. When everything turns out so “beautifully”, you don’t have time to look for the true reasons for what happened. And there is no need.
Everything, however, is not so simple. According to doctors, the cause of death was most likely a hereditary disease of the cardiovascular system. This disease was aggravated by excess weight over a long period of the athlete’s life, which, whatever one may say, is an additional burden on the heart - even though this weight is not fat, but muscle. Unhealthy diets, which Nasser was subjected to at least fifty times throughout his life, could have contributed to the overall picture of the disease - I only took preparation for competitions, but professional bodybuilders must be in good shape for both photo shoots and guest posing.
And, of course, the abundance of “pharma” could not but play a negative role. Moreover, androgens and anabolic steroids are not so scary, even if you take into account the crazy “pro” dosages. Much more severe damage to the body of a professional athlete is caused by diuretics, thyroid hormones, insulin, and drugs that “tighten” the work of the heart - clenbuterol, ephedrine, caffeine. If we take into account, again, the insane dosages that professional bodybuilders are forced to resort to, as well as the fact that most of the drugs used are produced - for known reasons - who knows where and who knows how, then the negative effect is significantly aggravated.
I think it makes sense here to quote the words that Nasser El Sonbati said in one of his interviews: “Bodybuilders are treated like racing horses: if such a horse breaks a leg, it is no longer needed and is shot. No one shoots bodybuilders - they are forced to “go on the needle.” Either they obey the rules, or they quit the sport... If your goal is to become a professional bodybuilder, then it's not just your genetics that plays a role, and not just how hard you train. What's also important is how your body reacts to the different types of medications you've fed it over the years. It reacts not only in a positive sense - I mean anabolic processes, but also in a negative sense - in terms of side effects. You have to have the constitution of a horse [to withstand all this].”
Big sport has nothing to do with health - I have repeated these words more than once. Professional bodybuilding – a very strange sport – has even less to do with health. Anyone who decides to devote his life to it is simply forced to follow certain rules. The criteria for success that have developed in modern bodybuilding force one to work extremely hard, forcing one to resort to virtually inhumane diets and overdoses of various pharmacological drugs. As a matter of fact, you only have to look at the course of an Olympia participant to understand this.
“I don’t think it’s normal for the [human] body to be under the influence of pharmacological drugs for such a long time. Everything, including antibiotics, vitamins, etc., etc. The use of large doses of anabolic steroids over a long period of time with very little “recovery” breaks has a negative impact on hormonal balance. Add here a strict diet, thyroid hormones, growth hormone, insulin, IGF-1 - and you get real chaos of the hormonal system” - this is from the same interview with Nasser.
Pharma is neither good nor bad. “Anabolic steroids” is not a synonym for the word “killer.” The word “abuse” is derived from the word “use” by adding just three letters. In life, from rational use to use that may endanger your health, there are also often only three steps. Whether to take these steps or not is a personal matter for everyone. Athletes, whose success (including material success) depends on how massive their physique will be and how prominent their muscles will be, prefer to take these steps, turning a blind eye to the possible consequences.
Everyone who is now trying to trample in the mud the name of a man who was not afraid to speak the truth during his life should first of all pay attention not to the “damned anabolic steroids”, but to the system that forces athletes to abuse drugs that could, if used rationally, benefit the body benefit.

This “course” is real - it was used by one of the top bodybuilding pros to prepare for Olympia 2012. Surely this was a man who wanted to make a dramatic “breakthrough” - primarily in terms of mass. Drugs that support health will not be considered here, but the fact that they must be present is not subject to discussion.
Weeks 16-9

AAS (regularly)

Sustanon – 500 mg daily

nandrolone decanoate – 300 mg every other day

boldenone – 300 mg every other day

Methandrostenolone – 100 mg

Anadrol – 100 mg

TNE (testosterone without ester chain) – 200 mg​

Weeks 8-3

AAS (regularly)

testosterone propionate – 200 mg daily

trenbolone enanthate – 600 mg per week

trenbolone acetate – 100 mg daily

Preparations of peptide structure (regularly)

growth hormone (China, “generic”) – 10 IU daily​

growth hormone (“Serostim”) – 6 IU daily​

sermorelin – 2 IU three times a day

short-acting insulin - 10 IU before each meal

Before training (one and a half hours before)

ultra-short-acting insulin – 20 IU

Week 2

AAS (regularly)

methenolone enanthate (“Primobolan”) – 1000 mg per week​

trenbolone acetate – 250 mg daily

TNE – 100 mg three times a day

Drostanolone (“Masteron”) – 250 mg daily​

fluoxymesterone – 50 mg per day

Preparations of peptide structure (regularly)

growth hormone (China, “generic”) – 10 IU daily​

growth hormone (“Serostim”) – 6 IU daily​

sermorelin – 2 IU three times a day

Gradually we came to something more or less normal - there is nothing to complain about here. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that only at this moment does insulin disappear from the “course”. True, as we will see later, not for long.
the last week

AAS (regularly)

• 
  The “course” does not include special fat-burning drugs. It seems that it is impossible to get by with growth hormone alone - something must be included. Judging by the frequent use of insulin, it must be a very powerful combination or even a drug like DNP. Although, it is quite possible that the athlete has difficulty gaining weight and does not experience any difficulties with losing it (in this case, the circle of “contenders” narrows down to only two people - Daxter Jackson and Shawn Rhoden) - then you can get by with something light .
  Growth factors (IFR-1 and MFR) are not used at all - it is clear that the author of the “course” does not have much confidence in them. Although the same IGF-1 may well come in handy in the last two weeks before the start.
  Conclusions, conclusions...

  The “course” makes a rather strange impression. Firstly, there are a mixture of drugs that can either be completely unnecessary or even negatively affect the effectiveness of the “course”. Secondly, it is not clear how all these injections can be done. Well, okay, you can do something - warm and massage the injection sites, although it will still be hard, and the muscle tissue at the injection sites will very soon begin to degenerate into connective tissue, which will significantly reduce their (injections) effectiveness. But these oil solutions continuously layered on top of each other in insane quantities simply will not have time to enter the blood normally! Constantly change injection sites? So here the whole body is not enough!
  Health here, it seems, was not taken into account at all: there is no talk of getting out of this “course” without losses. The trouble is that it poses a direct threat to life - I don’t know if there is a person who can safely tolerate the simply insane amount of insulin introduced into the body, and even over a very long period of time.

Anthropometry Sonbati

Nasser El Sonbati biography

Nasser El Sonbati photos

Performance history of Nasser El Sonbati

But in addition to intellectual genius, Sonbati was an active child and since childhood he played football, rowing, swimming and wrestling. Bodybuilding was not initially to his taste at all. But during my student years, it was fashionable to go to the gym. And he went to several training sessions out of pure interest. Even a few training sessions were enough for the future champion to notice a colossal result. His muscles grew on their own. He was inspired, he liked playing this sport more and more and, one day, he tried to compete at local competitions in Germany. Things didn’t work out very well with Germany, and a little later he went to Yugoslavia, where he became a professional bodybuilder according to the IFBB version.

Nasser El Sonbati training and performances

The first steps in professional bodybuilding were very difficult. Nasser did not win for very long, finishing outside the top 15 places. But with the French Grand Prix in 1993, a turning point began. He began to take prizes in almost every tournament in which he took part. In 1994, he finished second at the Night of Champions, behind Mike Francois, with whom he would later become great friends. After this tournament, everyone begins to pay attention to the giant. Also, this championship gave Sonbati a ticket to "". Having finished 7th at Olympia, the giant believed in himself more than ever before. He devotes his whole life to training and enters the next professional Houston Pro tournament with a net weight of 121.5 kilograms, which amazes the judges. For the first time he wins among the bodybuilding elite. Two weeks later, he confidently wins the “Night of Champions” and becomes the main contender for the Mr. Olympia title.

And in 1995, the long-awaited Olympia took place. Nasser finished 3rd, not a bad result, although the champion thought he could have won. Then he took first place, second -. Sonbati was a tolerant athlete, so he never spoke badly about his opponents or the judges, which is our honor.

Many argued that if the champion had a little more strength in his back, he could easily win. The athlete himself shared this opinion. He trains his back fanatically and is showing significant progress at next year's Olympia. But again he became third, ahead of Kevin Levrone, but behind Dorian Yatz. After the announcement of the result, the public was indignant and had a row in the hall for a long time until the champion himself calmed them down. A little later, the athlete’s result was canceled because his test for diuretics was positive.

Then the giant got angry about it all. In addition, he lost the Arnold Classic. After that, he sharply wrote on the official Flex website that he was really being underestimated in the judging and pointed out a lot of shortcomings of other athletes, which the judges turn a blind eye to. In 1997, he finished second at Mr. Olympia. Although he was one of the few who could compete with Dorian Yates with his size and unreal muscle mass, he could not defeat him.

Nasser El Sonbati died

Despite this, Nasser remains an all-time great bodybuilder. Unfortunately, not so long ago, on March 21, 2013, disappointing news was heard. Nasser El Sonbati has died. The cause of death was health problems caused by kidney failure. It’s a pity that the life of such a wonderful person and athlete was cut short so early, at only 47 years old.