Samir Bannout – Complete Profile: Height, Workout And Diet

Samir Bannout is a retired IFBB Pro bodybuilder from Lebanon. He competed in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s era of bodybuilding and is best known for winning the Mr. Olympia title in 1983. This is his complete profile, biography, workout routine, and diet as well as statistics.

Samir Bannout (The Lion of Lebanon)

Born: November 7, 1955
Birthplace: Beirut, LEBANON
Residence: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nickname: The Lion of Lebanon
Height: 5′ 7″ (172 cm)
Competition Weight: 198 lbs (90 kg)
Off-Season Weight: 216 lbs (98 kg)
Arms: 20,5″ (52 cm)
Calves: 19″ (48 cm)
Waist: 29,5″ (75 cm)

Samir Bannout Biography

Early Life

Samir Bannout was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. He admired the perfectly sculpted physiques that bodybuilders and athletes of the time used to have. Building a strong and muscular physique was the main driving force behind him taking up bodybuilding training. He started bodybuilding at the early age of 16, and it became the sole focus of his life and career in the following years.

The young boy from Beirut worked relentlessly on his physique over the next few years, and the results were astonishing. By the time he was 19, Bannout had made significant gains and built a muscular physique. he then decided to pursue a bodybuilding career.

Amateur bodybuilding career

The 1974 Mr. Universe was Bannou’s first bodybuilding competition. He was the youngest competitor at the show and competed in the medium class. Astonishingly, the ‘Lion of Lebanon’ secured a seventh-place finish in his bodybuilding debut and accrued a lot of praise for his effort.

Once the daunting task of making a debut was completed and Bannout realized that he was well-equipped to compete against the elite crop of bodybuilders, it strengthened his resolve to continue with a bodybuilding career.

Bannout then decided to shift his base to the USA and never looked back. Over the next five years, the Lebanese bodybuilder competed in several amateur competitions and achieved a great deal of success. This included runner-up finishes at the 1977 and 1978 Mr. International and a win at the 1979 Best in the World (Amateur).

In 1979, Bannout entered the professional bodybuilding circuit which set him on the path to become a serious competitor. The win at the 1979 World Amateur Championships earned him the IFBB Pro card and Bannout’s professional bodybuilding journey started.

Professional bodybuilding career

The veteran bodybuilder made his pro bodybuilding debut at the 1980 Grand Prix California with a fourth-place finish and over the next few years, he built a solid resume while gaining experience of competing at the highest level of professional bodybuilding.

He won none of the competitions during this period but achieved several top-seven and top-five finishes. Bannout’s Mr. Olympia debut also came during this time when he finished 15th at the 1980 Mr. Olympia.

He steadily improved his standings on the grandest stage of bodybuilding, walking away with a 9th place finish at the 1981 Mr. Olympia. In 1982, the Lebanese bodybuilder emerged as a serious threat to the Olympia crown, finishing 4th at the Mr. Olympia show.

The year 1983 cemented Samir Bannout’s place in the pages of bodybuilding history. The Lebanese bodybuilder entered the 1983 Mr. Olympia with unwavering confidence as he competed against the likes of Mohammed Makkawy, Lee Haney, and Frank Zane.

Samir Bannout dominated the stage to walk away with the 1983 Mr. Olympia trophy, becoming the sixth bodybuilder ever to earn the distinction.

In a rapidly changing landscape of professional bodybuilding, Bannout could not defend the Mr. Olympia title and finished sixth in 1985. However, he remained a top contender for the next several years, winning various pro shows and achieving top-ten finishes at several others.

The sixth-place finish at the 1996 Masters Olympia competition proved to be Bannout’s last performance in his 17-year-long professional bodybuilding career. 15 years later, he returned to competition at the 2011 IFBB Pro World Masters Bodybuilding competition and finished 11th.

Life after retirement

Samir Bannout played a crucial role in the growth of competitive bodybuilding, especially in the Middle East. His contribution to the sport was acknowledged when ‘The Lion of Lebanon’ was inducted into the prestigious IFBB Hall of Fame.

Today, Bannout is one of the foremost voices in the sport of bodybuilding and closely observes the proceedings in the sport. Bodybuilding fans and experts look forward to his analytical insights into the competition results and divisional pictures.

Competition History

• 1974 Mr. Universe, Medium Class – 7th place (Youngest contestant)
• 1976 Mr. Universe, Middleweight – 12th place
• 1977 Mr. International, Middleweight – 2nd place 
• 1978 Mr. International, Middleweight – 2nd place
• 1979 Best in the World, Amateur – 1st place
• 1979 Canada Pro Cup, N/A
• 1979 World Amateur Championships, Light Heavyweight – 1st place
• 1980 Grand Prix California – 4th place
• 1980 Grand Prix Pennsylvania – 7th place
• 1980 Night of Champions – 10th place
• 1980 Mr. Olympia – 15th place
• 1980 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational N/A
• 1981 Grand Prix California – 7th place
• 1981 Grand Prix New England – 6th place
• 1981 Night of Champions – 10th place
• 1981 Mr. Olympia – 9th place
• 1982 Grand Prix Sweden – 2nd place
• 1982 Mr. Olympia – 4th place
• 1983 Mr. Olympia – 1st place
• 1984 Canada Pro Cup – 5th place
• 1984 Mr. Olympia – 6th place
• 1984 World Grand Prix – 5th place
• 1985 WABBA World Championship – 1st place
• 1986 WABBA World Championship – 1st place
• 1988 Grand Prix England – 10th place
• 1988 Grand Prix Italy – 9th place
• 1988 Mr. Olympia – 8th place
• 1989 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic – 4th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Finland – 6th place
• 1989 Grand Prix France – 8th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Germany – 5th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Holland – 5th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Spain – 5th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Spain (2nd) – 5th place
• 1989 Grand Prix Sweden – 3rd place
• 1989 Mr. Olympia – 9th place
• 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic – 4th place
• 1990 Grand Prix England – 6th place
• 1990 Grand Prix Finland – 5th place
• 1990 Grand Prix Italy – 6th place
• 1990 Houston Pro Invitational – 2nd place
• 1990 Mr. Olympia – 8th place
• 1990 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational – 1st place (Winner) 
• 1990 NABBA World Championships Professional – 2nd place
• 1991 Mr. Olympia – 16th place
• 1992 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic N/A
• 1992 Grand Prix Germany – 11th place
• 1992 Mr. Olympia – 16th place
• 1993 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic – 13th place
• 1993 Ironman Pro Invitational – 13th place
• 1993 San Jose Pro Invitational – 10th place
• 1994 Grand Prix England – 14th place
• 1994 Grand Prix Germany – 13th place
• 1994 Grand Prix Italy – 12th place
• 1994 Grand Prix Spain – 12th place
• 1994 Mr. Olympia – 19th place
• 1996 Masters Mr. Olympia – 6th place
• 2011 IFBB Pro World Masters Bodybuilding – 11th place

Samir Bannout Workout

One of the most important features of Samir Bannout’s physique was that it appeared big and he was physically incredibly strong. His training focused on building not just muscle but functional strength as well, which is what caused the physique to look that way. Testimony to his strength is the fact that he carried out several extremely heavy lifts in the gym.

‘The Lion of Lebanon’ had incredible muscle definition, conditioning, and an overall grainy appearance to his physique. Intensity was the keyword in Bannout’s workouts as he trained incredibly heavy for strength gain and employed high volume for inducing muscle hypertrophy.

For the most part, Bannout relied heavily on fundamental lifts to make gains. His training routine included compound as well as isolation movements using free weights and machines.

While some bodybuilders put a lot of emphasis on the number of reps performed, Bannout was never into counting the reps. He focused on performing the movement with correct form and technique. According to the veteran bodybuilder, counting the reps can distract from execution and also stop a person from performing the exercise to actual failure.

“Exercising mechanics do matter, intensity does matter, recuperation does matter. Too much medication is not necessary and too long of a workout is not necessary.”

Bannout believes in the role of a good warm-up before every intense workout to get the blood flowing into the target muscles and also to avoid injuries.

While his entire physique was a work of art, Bannout’s back was always perceived as the single best part of his physique. While some may say that genetics played a role in it, Bannout put in the work to build it.

He preferred doing chin-ups, clean and jerk, and bent-over barbell rows to work this muscle group. Bannout believes that the combined effect of these exercises gives a wide, thick, and well-defined look to the back muscles.

Training Split

At the peak of his bodybuilding career, Bannout trained six days per week and took one day off following three working days. The Lebanese bodybuilder changed the exercise sequence or selection of movements routinely and no two consecutive workouts for the same muscle group had the same sequence. However, he adhered to the exercises that yielded the best results. 

Here is an example of Samir Bannout’s workout routine:

Day 1 – Chest and Back

Chest

• Bench press – 5-6 sets of 4-10 reps
• Incline DB/BB press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Weighted parallel bar dips – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Incline or flat bench dumbbell flys – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell pullovers lying across the bench – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps

Back

• Wide-grip pull-ups – 4-5 sets of 10-12 reps
• Behind the neck lat pulldowns – 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated cable rows – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
• One-arm dumbbell rows – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Nautilus machine pullovers – 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Day 2 – Legs and Abs

Legs

• Leg extensions – 5 sets of 5-10 reps
• Barbell back squats – 5 sets of 6-15 reps
• Lying leg curls – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Straight leg barbell deadlifts – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Walking lunges or hack squats – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Bodyweight calf stretches – 1 set till failure
• Standing calf raises – 5 sets of 15+ reps
• Seated calf raises – 4 sets of 15+ reps

Abs

• Sit-ups – 3 – 4 sets of 25+ reps
• Hanging leg raises – 3-4 sets of 25+ reps
• Side crunches with pulley machines – 3-4 sets of 30+ reps

Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms

Shoulders

• Behind the neck overhead press – 4 sets of 8 -12 reps
• Lateral raises – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Bent-over cable laterals – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• BB/DB front raises – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Barbell upright rows – 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Arms

• Barbell preacher curls – 4 sets of 6-12 reps
• Alternate dumbbell curls – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Concentration curls – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Bench dips or parallel bar dips – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Triceps cable pushdowns – 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps

Day 4 – Rest

Samir Bannout Diet

Samir Bannout did not complicate the diet by following fad diets or extreme dieting methods. He was not very restrictive about the food choices either. Instead, the veteran bodybuilder simply focused on eating nutrient-dense foods for the majority of his meals.

Bannout maintained a balanced diet and foods like chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef and liver etc. acted as the primary sources of protein and minerals. The veteran bodybuilder relied on eating healthy portions of fruits and fresh vegetables to get the necessary vitamins, fiber, and other micronutrients. He gave a lot of importance to staying hydrated throughout the day.

Although the caloric intake and macronutrient requirements have changed over the years, Bannout still follows the same dietary rules to stay healthy. Most of his meals today are clean and whole-food based and rarely, if at all, does he indulge in processed foods.

Personal Life

Samir Bannout lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Randa, and three children. He was previously married to Lourdes Labrada, the sister of Lee Labrada. The couple had two daughters.

To Conclude…

Samir Bannout’s career trajectory is strange, to say the least. Although he climbed to the absolute top of the competitive bodybuilding world by winning the prestigious Mr. Olympia title, his career before and after the 1983 Mr. Olympia was not as successful as the biggest achievement of his career.

It goes to show that it is incredibly difficult to stay at the top when you are competing against the highest caliber of athletes. However, Bannout never stopped working on himself and still produced some memorable performances while staying committed to the craft.

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