ARASH RAHBAR
BIRTH DATE: Nov. 29, 1980
HEIGHT: 5'10"
WEIGHT: 205 lbs
(competition); 225 lbs
(off-season)
RESIDENCE:
Long Island, NY
BIRTHPLACE: Tehran, Iran
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2016 Olympia Classic
Physique, 2nd; 2016 New
York Pro classic physique,
1st; 2016 Pittsburgh Pro
classic physique, 1st;
2014 North American
Championships men’s
physique class D and overall
winner (earned pro card)
SMITH MACHINE INCLINE PRESS
TARGET Upper pecs.
DO IT As your first
main mass movement
to prioritize upper
chest thickness.
date for the movie has yet to be
announced, but it could be in
theaters in 2018. “I’m flattered and
I’m honored to be a part of the
first multimillion-dollar Hollywood
production in our sport,” says
Rahbar, who was set to film his
parts as Zane the first week of
November, only a week after his
interview with FLEX. “Training-
wise, I’m not doing anything crazy
for the movie. I kept in shape,
luckily, which is one of the
reasons I landed the role. If I was
PERFORMANCE TIP
Keep your shoulders
back and chest up to
place maximum stress
on the chest muscles.
full-blown huge and smooth in the
off-season, there’s no chance.”
Third, there’s the Arnold
Classic. For the first time, the
prestigious show will be including
classic physique. And for Rahbar,
to compete or not to compete in
Columbus was an easy decision.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he says.
“Last year, I stepped off the
Olympia stage, my left foot hit the
ground, and I said, ‘I’m doing
the Arnold.’ There was no Arnold.
This year, same thing—but
especially this year. For me, one
word comes to mind: redemption.
I’m not happy with the way I
looked at the Olympia. Look, if I
was at my best and I finished
fourth, I’m in trouble. But I was
nowhere near my best in 2017. I
was way, way off. I was at 70 or
75%, and I got fourth place. So
for me, the Arnold is redemption.”
And redemption starts with
what Rahbar has already been
doing for many years: hard and
smart training, and proper nutrition
and supplement intake. All three
of these areas are addressed
from Rahbar’s perspective on the
following pages, including his
highly intense, moderate-volume
chest workout. He’s hoping 2018
will be a more successful year
from a competitive standpoint,
yet from a work standpoint it will
be more of the same.
“For me, it’s never-ending,”
says Rahbar. “I’m always trying
to improve. I think I can get better
and better in every department
for 2018. I want to bring better
conditioning, but the main thing
for me is nailing it. The world has
yet to see me at even 90%. I won
Pittsburgh and New York and
finished second at the Olympia in
2016, and I wouldn’t say I was
90% at any of those shows. And
when I say ‘nail it,’ I mean hard,
full, and dry. I have yet to show
my best. I think if I come in at 90,
95% at the Arnold, I’ll have a very,
very special look that will give
anyone in the division a hard time.
That’s my humble opinion.”
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