Oman boasts an impressive team of bodybuilders, who have been performing exceptionally well on the international stage. Among them is Haitham Al Zadjali, a bodybuilder with an impressive collection of regional and international accolades that include becoming the first and only Arab to become a Mr Olympia finalist in the classic physique division in Las Vegas, USA. His other accomplishments include winning the Mr Olympia Amateur tournament in both Kuwait and Jordan, coming in second at Mr World, Spain, in 2016, and outright winning it in 2017, and winning the Fiji Pro among several other championships. With bodybuilding becoming even more popular with every passing year, FACES caught up with Haitham Al Zadjali to get the low down on his illustrious career together with some valuable tips for budding bodybuilders wishing to follow in his footsteps.
What was it that got you into bodybuilding?
Ever since the age of 15, I was always enamoured by bodybuilding magazines and aspired to be like the people that adorned its pages. This is what originally inspired me to take up bodybuilding as a career.
What is the key factor that drives you to newer heights?
I love my country and am truly appreciative of everything it has done for me. As such, I wish to see the Sultanate’s flag flying high in the world of bodybuilding. It is this desire that continues to drive me to even greater heights in my career.
Which is Haitham Al Zadjali’s greatest moment in the sport?
If I had to single one particular moment out, it would have to be qualifying and eventually competing in the final stage of the Mr Olympia competition in Las Vegas, USA. At the time I was the first ever Arab to qualify within the classic physique category. Winning the Mr World championships in Spain comes in just behind that in my list of most cherished achievements. Both were very emotional moments for me in my career.
You have a physique that is in aspired to my many budding bodybuilders. How do you work on improving it? Describe your current training program.
Thanks for your compliments, humbled by the same. Well at the moment I am in off-season and due to the ongoing COVID crisis I am working hard with the limited resources on hand. We’re all forced to work out at home with limited equipment. However, I still work out twice a day, which includes weight training and cardio. In order to achieve my goals, I feel it is very important to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Since I am in off-season, I focus on lifting heavy weights for maximum reps, focussing on the technique and mind muscle connection.
How would you describe your diet?
I usually have six to eight meals a day, all of which are very high in protein, healthy carbohydrates, and fat. This would include chicken, mutton, beef, eggs, fish, oats and so on. The most important part of the diet however is the discipline. In order to stay at the top of your game, you need to be strict and exert significant self-control when it comes to following through with your diet and avoiding junk and unhealthy foods.
What tips do you have for any person starting out and what training and nutrition methods do you feel gave the greatest bodybuilding results?
That’s a really good question. Based on my experience of training a lot of young guys over the years I shall list out the most important tips that must be followed by all beginners in order to achieve the best results.
- Do not talk while working out, finish your workouts, and leave the gym quickly.
- Long workouts of two to three hours do not do much in helping you achieve results. It can, in fact, be counterproductive.
- Take one to two days off from the gym per week, your muscles need rest to recover and grow.
- Stay hydrated during workouts and throughout the day as well, drink plenty of water.
- Do not work out two major sections of your body, such as your legs and back, on a single day.
- Do not work out the same body parts on consecutive days. Take enough rest before working out the same body part again during the week.
- Work on your abs on every alternate day.
- Have a healthy pre workout meal at least 45 minutes before the workout, do not workout empty stomach.
- Do not ego lift i.e. lifting or pushing too much weight in the hopes of impressing others. This can result in serious and maybe even permanent injuries.
- Always warm up for up to 10 – 15 minutes before workouts.
- Always wear a weightlifting belt for safety.
- Always workout with a purpose and an ultimate goal in mind, that way you have a target to reach.
In relation to nutrition, are you a believer in supplements? Which ones do you use, and what results have these given you?
I give a lot of importance to real nutritious food. However, in order to achieve optimal results, performance supplements are very important, especially at this level of competition. I am fortunate enough to be sponsored by Wawan Protein and I take all my supplements from them. I use protein shakes, karbolyn, branch chained amino acids, glutamine, creatine, multi vitamins, growth and hormone boosters, joint support, etc.
What kind of a mindset do you need to have to do well in the sport and how important is it?
Bodybuilding requires a lot of patience and determination to achieve results. Hence it is important to develop a focussed, calm, patient, tolerant, disciplined, and punctual attitude in every aspect of your life. Only by doing so can you truly reach your goal.
I imagine training and work takes of a lot of your time. What hobbies and interests does Haitham Al Zadjali have to balance out life?
Bodybuilding is indeed is a very time-consuming sport. In addition, I have also established my own gym called Muscle Factory in Wadi Kabir and some portion of my time goes into managing it as well. In order to balance out my life I like to spend time with my family, watching movies, etc. In doing so I can give my body a rest from the training, which is something I always prioritise and also encourage those I train to also do.
Are you training for anything in particular at the moment?
I am currently training for a number of competitions I have lined up next year, in which I will be competing under the 212 bodybuilding category. I am waiting in anticipation for the gyms to reopen, which I hope will be soon after the COVID crisis has passed. It’s hard to describe how much I yearn to get back to my regular training regime and the competition stage.
Would you like to thank anyone in particular for helping you in your career?
Without a doubt I would like to thank my wife. She has always been the one to motivate me to push my limits and has always stayed by my side and supported me through my highs and lows. I would also like to thank Adel Wawan and his company – Wawan Protein, for their constant support and I look forward to working with them for many more years to come.