Rafael Brandao, one of Brazil’s most notable bodybuilders, is looking to shock the world when he steps on stage in Columbus, Ohio. With the 2024 Arnold Classic nearing, Brandao joined The Menace Podcast to discuss his contest prep, diet, posing strengths, and game plan for out-performing Hadi Choopan.
Since his emergence into the IFBB Pro League, Brandao’s aesthetics, taper, and thin waist were crucial to his success at the highest level. Having shared the stage and even defeated names like Samson Dauda (currently, the number three bodybuilder in the world), Brandao’s reputation and work ethic continue to define his legacy.
In 2022, Brandao asserted himself as a top-tier Open threat when he claimed gold at the Arnold Classic South America show. While the stress of performing on the Olympia stage can overwhelm some, that wasn’t the case for Brandao in his debut. He showcased a streamlined look but needed more size to push into the first call-out. As a result, he ended the show in 10th place.
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Despite suffering from a severe bout of Dengue fever, Brandao made the most of his latest off-season. With the 2024 Arnold Classic days away, the Open star joined a roundtable of bodybuilding veterans to share where he stands before the big return.
‘Different’ Rafael Brandao Talks 2024 Arnold Classic Contest Prep, Diet, and Out-Posing Hadi Choopan
Rafael Brandao plans to compete at the 2024 Arnold Classic in Ohio before attempting to win the Arnold Classic South America. He would rather compete in his home country of Brazil than perform at the Arnold UK weeks after his appearance in Columbus.
“We’re going to go straight to Columbus, Ohio, and then back to Brazil to the Arnold Brazil,” said Rafael Brandao. “No, I’m not doing UK. No, because Brazil is most important show for me. I cannot put everything at risk and go to the UK and then come to Brazil probably tired. I don’t know how my body would work after the Arnold Ohio, you know. I want to go to Columbus, Ohio, and then come to Brazil straight.”
“I’m a fucking different guy. I feel like I’m a different guy. I know I’m bigger, leaner, drier, harder, you know also, yeah, I think this year that I took off… I’m going to bring a lot of change to the stage. Right now, if I compare 18 days, I’m almost 15 pounds heavier, almost 15 pounds heavier [than I was at the 2022 Olympia].”
“Every day is different,” said Brandao. “To be honest, my diet was really really easy because my lowest carbs day was 300 grams of carbs. So, that’s now too low. You know what I mean? Then, I have my medium carbs day which is 600 grams of carbs and then, I have a super-high carbs day which is 1,000 grams of carbs.”“Some weeks I need to do like two or three days of super high carbs and yeah, my metabolism right now is really really bad.”
“So, Rafael, can you beat Hadi Choopan? asks Milos Sarcev.“Yeah, I can. I think I can, yeah.”“How do you possibly see beating great Hadi?” asks Sarcev.“I think front lat spread. I think side triceps. I think abs and thighs. Yeah, I think so.”
“Front lat spread and right now, I think my back double biceps,” answered Rafael Brandao. “Yeah, I think it’s turning to my best pose.”
“Like 30 minutes every day [of posing]. We’ve been doing more. I’ve been working a lot. I’ve been working a lot. I’ve been in the gym for or five hours every day, doing my cardio, doing my posing, doing my workouts, doing my meditation, posing, yeah.”“I come to the gym in the morning and I do my cardio and then I do a few posing. Then, I come back to my home, have two meals, come back to the gym, and then do my working outs and a few poses and then come back home.”
“I want to win the Arnold, you know what I mean. Just in my head, in my mind, I can win, I can beat these guys in Ohio. Then I want to compete in Arnold Brazil. I really want to go to the New York Pro but I don’t know. We’re going to see after the Arnold Classic Brazil.”
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