Australian bodybuilder Lee Priest has been a prominent figure in the sport for decades. He’s known for his incredible conditioning and longevity, having continued to train and compete even after stepping away from professional competition. Recently, Priest uploaded a video on YouTube in which he discussed the changes in his training and diet from his 20s to his 50s.
Priest began his career in the IFBB Pro League in 1989 as a Men’s Open contender. At the age of 20, he became one of the youngest athletes to earn a Pro Card. With his massive arms and razor-sharp muscle definition, he quickly rose through the ranks, earning a spot in the Mr. Olympia competition in 1997, where he placed sixth in his debut.
Priest went on to participate in six Olympia shows between 1997 and 2003, competing against some of the biggest names in bodybuilding, including Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Shawn Ray, and Jay Cutler. While he never won the Sandow trophy, he achieved his biggest win at the 2006 Ironman Pro and made his final IFBB appearance at the 2006 Grand Prix Australia.
Despite facing health challenges such as a neck injury last November, Priest has not lost his passion for working out and maintaining a high level of personal fitness. In the video, he opened up about taking Deca (Nandrolone) in his teenage years to build muscle and how he’s managed to retain it. He also offered his expertise on performing the decline bench press for optimal chest muscle growth, cautioning his fans against loading up too heavy as the decline motion could increase the risk of injuries.
Earlier this year, Priest gave fans a look into building gigantic forearms, revealing that he never trained the muscle group and suggesting that his refined forearms were down to genetics and overall training. He listed eight exercises that could help grow weak forearms.
Priest has also been vocal about his opinions on the sport of bodybuilding. He believes that the 212 competitors could hold their own against some of the freakiest mass monsters of the Men’s Open class if they brought their best package. He expressed a desire to compete in the returning 2023 Masters Olympia, had it not been for his chest atrophy. He also weighed in on the Minnesota court’s ruling permitting transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, bashing the decision for being unfair to women and urging females to go on strike in protest.
In the recent YouTube video, Priest shared how his training and diet protocols have changed over time from when he was in his 20s to now that he’s entering his 50s. While he continues to train in a similar fashion, he’s had to make some adjustments due to his injuries. He theorized that burning fat might be tougher as you get older, but he manages to stay in good shape with cardio while being around 211-213 pounds currently.
Priest does a minimum of two hours of cardio per day, splitting it between an hour in the morning and another in the afternoon. He also walks his dogs, totaling anywhere between two to three hours a day. He sits around 96-97 kilos (211-213 pounds), a comfortable weight that he doesn’t have to force-feed himself to maintain.
In conclusion, Priest remains a respected figure in the bodybuilding world, sharing his knowledge and experience with fans and enthusiasts alike. Despite his injuries and advancing age, he continues to lead a healthy lifestyle and shows no signs of slowing down.
Watch the full video below:
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