Flex Flex_USA_-_01_02_2018 | Page 25

CLASSICALLY TRAINED& PROPERLY FUELED SIGNING A NEW SUPPLEMENT CONTRACT, PLAYING FRANK ZANE ON THE BIG SCREEN, PREPPING FOR THE DEBUT OF CLASSIC PHYSIQUE AT THE ARNOLD—ARASH RAHBAR HAS A LOT GOING ON THESE DAYS. HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF THE WORKOUTS, DIET, AND SUPPLEMENT ROUTINE THAT HE SAYS WILL MAKE 2018 HIS BEST YEAR YET. BY JOE WUEBBEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS NICOLLS Arash Rahbar, one of the true superstars of the IFBB Pro League’s classic physique division, has put 2017 in his rearview. Not that it was a bad year—for just about any professional physique athlete, a fourth- place Olympia finish would be an undeniable success—but it wasn’t nearly as fruitful onstage as he believes it could have been. “I feel I’m head and shoulders better this year than last year,” says Rahbar, speaking to FLEX in late October, roughly six weeks after the 2017 Olympia. If you’ll recall, he finished two places higher at the O in 2016, placing runner-up to Danny Hester. “I improved a lot as a bodybuilder. I brought up some weak points, and I think I grew and developed considerably from 2016. That being said, I feel I had the tools to do better in ’17 than I did in ’16, but I just didn’t nail it on Friday. As everyone knows, bodybuilding is an art and a science. I can look back now and see the mistakes that were made during the week leading into the show, but at the time my coach and I didn’t realize it. I was flat and depleted. I didn’t come to life Friday morning for the competition. That’s it. In the days after, I just got better and better. It’s a classic ‘didn’t nail it on the day of the show’ type of deal. But you live and you learn, and I won’t make those mistakes again.” FLEXONLINE.COM 23