Vida Guerra Major Distraction | Back by Popular Demand

Vida Guerra Major Distraction - Back by Popular Demand

Vida Guerra is no stranger to the MD crowd. She’s graced the cover of countless magazines and been in everything from music videos to movies. Her rise to fame came by accident when a friend of an ex-boyfriend sent her picture in to FHM in 2002. Six months later she got a call for a photo shoot, and the rest is history! Over 70 percent of the readers said they wanted to see Vida again, just like the readers of MD asked us for more Vida, and we were happy to oblige! (Originally published in the April 2013 edition of MD)

AZ: You’re very popular and your Facebook page is off the charts. It’s not like you needed to do Bikini for the exposure. What drew you to it?

VG: I’ve been working out since I was 19— ballet and karate. In 2000, I found out about this new division called Figure. It sounded like what Bikini is now. I gave it a try. There were 27 girls in my first contest, and I came in fifth. I just didn’t have the right look. When I found out about the Bikini division, I wanted to give it a try. I won my first show and qualified for Nationals. It was something I never thought I’d be able to complete, and I like to finish what I start. So when I realized I was qualified, I had to go for my pro card.

 

AZ: What do you like about competing, aside from finishing what you started?

VG: The naturalness of it. They see you for what you are onstage— no airbrushing.

 

AZ: People seemed surprised to hear your age – you’ll be 41 in a couple of weeks. Did turning 40 intimidate you?

VG: No. Although when I turned 40, I was like Oh my god! But I’ve always looked young. When I started worrying about it, I felt like I started looking older. Whatever your mind thinks becomes your reality. If you think you’re old, you’ll be old. So, I had to snap myself out of it, and now it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m my own Fountain of Youth!

 

AZ: What kind of man is your type?

VG: I’ve always had a crush on Dwayne Johnson. I’ve met a bunch of celebrities. Dwayne was the first one that left me speechless. He has integrity and confidence. I met him at a gym. He talked to everyone there, from the front desk worker to the janitor. He’s humble, and people are just drawn to him. That’s so attractive. That’s why people get the success that they get. The ones who continue to show and have substance— they inspire people.

 

AZ: Give me a Vida Fun Fact.

VG: I don’t watch TV.

 

AZ: At all?

VG: No.

AZ: Why?

VG: Why am I going to watch someone else fulfilling their dream when I want to be fulfilling my own?

What We Know About Successful Bodybuilders

The following statements are true for nearly every successful bodybuilder I’ve ever met.
They are consistent.
Every successful bodybuilder I’ve ever met has been training for an extended period of time. They have
remained consistent for 5, 10, 15 and even 20 years. They rarely miss workouts, or scheduled meals for that matter.
They are strong.
While most of these bodybuilders will tell you, I don’t train for strength, they are inhumanly strong. Pound for pound, most of them give me a run for the money in the strength department. I have never met a weak, successful bodybuilder.
They evolve their training.
Each of these athletes has a very distinctive form of training that suits them, and only them. They have meticulously evolved their training over the years to fit their specific needs and weaknesses.
They embrace the hard
exercises.
One of the questions I ask most top bodybuilders is, what are your top 3 exercises for mass? 90% of them respond with squats, deadlifts and the bench press. Some prefer front squats over squats, and many prefer incline bench presses over bench presses. Each of these lifts is hard, and is certainly not avoided.
They don’t guess.
When it comes to meal plans, top bodybuilders don’t guess. You don’t hear them say “I think I am eating X amount of calories or Y grams of protein.” They know exactly what goes into their bodies.
They supplement heavily.
I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but it’s the truth. I swear I’m not trying to sell you a thing. While each of these athletes will be the first to tell you that food supplements aren’t magic pills and powders, at least 95% of the bodybuilders I’ve met use 4-10 different supplements a day, or more.
Someone is likely to call BS on this, but I assure you it’s a reality. These guys take every small advantage they can get. If you don’t believe me, go ask a top natural pro yourself.
They eat frequently.
Yes, they eat frequently. I understand that as of late intermittent fasting has become an extremely popular option in the muscle building world. I’m certainly not trying to bash the fasting community by revealing the truth about how these guys eat. It is what it is.
99% of the successful bodybuilders I’ve met eat 5, 6, 7 or 8 times a day. The only bodybuilder I’ve personally met who doesn’t eat this often is Layne Norton. I believe he eats 3-4 times a day.
They are gray.
Gray? Yes, gray. Nearly every top bodybuilder knows that there are few black and white answers in the world of muscle building and nutrition. What works for one guy might not work for another. They understand that most questions have gray answers, not black or white solutions.

Arnold Schwarzenegger training full body split

Heavy movements stimulate the deep-lying muscle fibers that lighter movements never reach. The objective is to use fewer exercises, employ heavier weights and train your whole body in one workout. I gained most of my weight and massiveness on a program of 10 exercises that I performed three times a week. After I reached a satisfactory bodyweight, I changed over to the more advanced split system and began training six days a week.”
“If you need to put on 20 pounds or more, the following program is for you.”
Gain-Weight Routine

Books by Arnold

Squats 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Bench Presses 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Incline Presses 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Wide-Grip Chins 5 x 8-10
Bent-Over Rows 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Behind-the-Neck-Presses 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Barbell Curls 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Lying Triceps Extensions 5 x 8,8,6,6,6
Deadlifts 5 x 3-5 (building up to one max set)
Machine Calf Raises 5 x 10-15
“The above program will build tremendous size and power, but it’s too rugged for the beginning bodybuilder. Here’s a more appropriate version for the novice.”
Beginner Routine

Bent-knee Situps 1 x 15-25
Squats 3 x 10
Bench Presses 3 x 8-10
Bent-Over Rows 3 x 8-10
Military Presses 3 x 8-10
Barbell Curls 3 x 8-10
Deadlifts 2 x 10
Machine Calf Raises 3 x 15-20
Bent-leg Leg Raises 1 x 15-25
“During the first week of training do only one set of each exercise and rest for two to three minutes between exercises. Do two sets for the second week and increase to three sets for the fourth week. If the reps are easy when you hit the top number in the listed range, add weight to the bar – five to 10 pounds is sufficient. Increase the weight whenever possible, but use correct form at all times without straining. Beginners can make continuous progress for at least three months on this program.”
“If you’re a bodybuilder who works long hours or has limited time to train for some other reason, try the following routine.”
Abbreviated Mass Routine
Squats 5 x 6-8

Bench Presses 5 x 6-8
Wide-Grip Chins
or Pulldowns 5 x 8-10
Behind-the-Neck-Presses 5 x 6-8
Barbell Curls 5 x 6-8
Lying Triceps Extensions 5 x 6-8
Deadlifts 5 x 3-5 (building up to one max set)
“Although this version is somewhat shorter, some people gain faster on fewer exercises – probably because they’re able to recuperate better and they don’t become exhausted from their training.”
- “Rest for two minutes between sets of squats and deadlifts, but for most other exercises keep your rest to no more than 1 1/2 minutes.”
- “Use these programs three days a week with at least a day of rest between workouts. For example, train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”
Of course there was more to the article than that, but that sums it up.