Mr. Olympia participant Denis Gusev - about nutrition, bodybuilding and sports

Biography of Gusev

Denis was born on August 11, 1981 in the provincial town of Tikhoretsk in southern Russia. The active boy attended martial arts sections and tried himself in team sports. When he was 10 years old, his coach suggested that he take up athletics seriously. The teenager showed high results in high jumping and was destined for a professional career in this discipline. In high school I took up strength training.

The young man liked the transformation of the body, and he attended classes with pleasure. After graduating from school, Denis entered the sports academy. In my second year, due to financial problems, I was forced to leave training and go to work. After 6 years of study, he became a master, and at the age of 26 he moved to the capital .

There he was offered a position as a personal trainer at the prestigious World Class. Denis compiled programs for famous politicians and pop stars, and worked part-time as a model. Filmed for “Maxim”, “Iron World”, “Wedding”, “Optika Magazine”. His face appeared in commercials for Megafon, Delta, and Zoombi.ru. The athlete represented the World Class and X-fit fitness networks.

Way to success

After graduating from university, at the age of 26, Denis Gusev, whose height and weight even then impressed him with his ratio, moved to Moscow, where he got a job as a professional trainer in the World Class network of elite fitness centers in the capital. Many popular personalities of our country, as well as film and television stars, became the athlete’s clients. In addition, during this period he was noticed by representatives of the modeling business, after which Denis Gusev, whose height and weight were ideally correlated with each other, began to appear on the pages of many glossy publications. Moreover, the guy’s model appearance opened the way for him to the catwalks of the capital.

Lucky streak

In 2012, at the age of 31, the athlete decided to try himself in classical bodybuilding. A professional approach to the matter required me to contact a coach who would develop a program for quickly gaining competitive shape. World champion Dmitry Yashankin agreed to help him. Just 3 months later, Denis became 8th at the Russian Championship. Then the streak of luck began.

1. In the spring of 2013, he took part in 3 competitions and won the Moscow Region Cup in the free program.
2. Took 3rd place in the fight for the Moscow and Eastern European Cups.
3. Passed the Master of Sports standard in bodybuilding.
4. In the fall, I competed at the fitness championship and came second.

In the same year, he became a student at the University of Economics and graduated with honors in 2014. He began combining training with the position of assistant vice president of the Villagio Esta company and his own business.

Training process

We have already mentioned above the need to build voluminous deltoid muscles. The work of individual beams (front, middle and back) is distributed over different training days. Exercises used for this:

• Swings with dumbbells
• Dumbbell press
• Military press (barbell)
• Barbell or dumbbell rows to the chin

From training to training, only variations of these exercises change with emphasis on specific beams.

To achieve a thin waist, Denis regularly performs the “vacuum” exercise. And when eating small portions of food, the “vacuum” is much easier!

Using an athletic belt while performing deadlifts allows you to restrain excessive hypertrophy of the core muscles, and proper execution of abdominal exercises eliminates the enlargement of the oblique muscles, which also visually enlarge the waist, making it less aesthetically pleasing.

The fact that Denis Gusev does not strive for large muscle volumes does not mean that he trains only with light weights, but still achieving moderate muscle mass can be done with less risk of injury.

Of course, Denis’s training process cannot do without cardio training, but the best option for doing it is working on an ellipsoid. This simulator includes almost all the main muscles, allowing you to get rid of excess subcutaneous fat in a joint-friendly manner, while simultaneously ensuring the prevention of osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias.

Features of the training program

Those competitive categories in which Denis Gusev performs do not imply the possession of large leg muscles, which eliminates the need to frequently squat with a barbell, although it cannot be said that Denis does not train his legs at all.

The emphasis is on the shoulders, back, and pectoral muscles. Arm training is adjusted to individual proportions.

Basic concept of the technique

Apparently, Denis Gusev relies on a model appearance, allowing himself to be versatile for both sports competitions and commercial projects.

Not having to gain a lot of muscle mass makes it much easier to be in great shape most of the year and stay healthy, ensuring athletic longevity and good health.

Training with moderate weights reduces the risk of injury, and regular cardio training on the elliptical is an excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases and problems with the musculoskeletal system.

Denis Gusev in "Mens Physicist"

In the fall, at the suggestion of coach Dmitry Yashankin, the bodybuilder applied to participate in the new category “beach bodybuilding.” Muscular guys with proportionally pumped muscles without huge biceps, like heavyweights, trained there.

2015 was a bad year. The athlete often did not even make it into the top ten. In 2020 he competed at the Olympia and took 16th place.

“I can’t say that I’m a bodybuilder and I’m ready to devote my whole life to training.”

Weekly split

The athlete has 10 training sessions per week. The morning begins with cardio, the day ends with weights.

Monday: complex for the development of the lower part of the body.

• Squats with weights.
• Ankle extension while sitting and lying down.
• Calf presses from different positions.

Back and triceps training program for Tuesday.

• Pull-ups.
• Horizontal block row while sitting.
• Block presses down.
• Extensions from behind the head.
• Pullover from the top block for the lats.
• Bars.

Thursday: chest and biceps work.

• Bench presses.
• Smith chest presses.
• Bringing the top block in front of you.
• EZ bar curls.
• Hyperextension.
• Concentrated curls.

Shoulder and abs workout from Denis Gusev on Friday.

• Presses of shells.
• Shrugs.
• Shoulder roller lifts in the simulator.
• Shoulder abductions with a dumbbell.
• Different versions of crunches.

Rest on Saturday and Sunday.

Sport

Denis Gusev prepared for the first competition for three months. His coach was Dmitry Yashankin, a five-time world champion in fitness, winner of a gold medal at the Arnold Classic tournament. Dmitry compiled a training program and a strict diet for Denis. The efforts bore fruit - the athlete took eighth place and entered the top ten best bodybuilders in Russia, ahead of many experienced bodybuilders.

Bodybuilder Denis Gusev

In 2013, Denis became a Master of Sports of Russia in bodybuilding and decided to make himself known on the world stage. In the fall, he performed at the Arnold Classic Europe festival and achieved stunning success. The ratio of weight and height - 93 kg and 186 cm - allowed Denis to take the gold medal in the Men's Physique category. The bodybuilder became the first Russian to conquer this height. The victory opened the door for him to the IFBB professional league.

2014 brought Denis a bronze medal in the IFBB Pro League tournament, which took place in Dallas. Gusev becomes the first non-American to place in the top three at a professional tournament in the Men's Physique category. However, after this triumph, the bodybuilder slid down: in most competitions he did not even get into the top ten.

Bodybuilder Denis Gusev

Failures are followed by grueling training and diets, and in 2015 Denis again conquered the IFBB Pro League. This time he took first place.

To keep himself in shape, a bodybuilder works out according to a specially designed program. He recommends it to fans and imitators. Depending on what stage of physical fitness he is in (drying or gaining weight), the intensity of the training and the number of repetitions are selected.

Denis Gusev talks about training in the gym

For athletes who are in the process of cutting, Denis recommends exercising six times a week. On Monday, the legs are strengthened: quadriceps and biceps of the thigh and shin, on Tuesday - triceps and biceps of the arms. On Wednesday we continue working on the triceps and back. On Thursday, the emphasis is on the chest and biceps. On Friday, the Monday program is repeated, plus calf work. On Saturday, there should be a dense workout of the muscles of the deltas, trapezius and abs.

When gaining weight, the same sequence of exercises is followed, but with a large number of repetitions and in the absence of cardio training. Saturday becomes a day off, but the diet becomes stricter.

Denis Gusev

Not everyone can eat the way athletes do. Once in an interview, Denis Gusev told what his diet consists of. The day begins with 50 grams of oatmeal with raw milk and a spoon of honey, followed by three more meals consisting of proteins and carbohydrates: red and white fish, beef, for example, with buckwheat.

Denis does not recommend ignoring vegetables. You should add a tomato or cucumber to every meal. The remaining two or three meals should be without carbohydrates: seafood salad, low-fat cottage cheese or whipped egg whites.

Nutrition for Denis Gusev

When Denis is asked about the menu, he replies that his diet is not limited to chicken fillet and cottage cheese. He eats a lot of seafood and tries to change the menu more often. Eating up to 7 times a day.

• In the morning - oatmeal with milk and a spoonful of honey.
• This is followed by 3 meals of proteins with slow carbohydrates: fish of different varieties, beef.
• He prefers buckwheat as a side dish due to its low glycemic index and vegetable protein.
• Be sure to eat vegetables.
• For dinner, she often eats salads with seafood and cottage cheese with whipped egg whites.

Denis advises his subscribers to create programs wisely and choose food more carefully.

What is he doing now?

Today, everyone has the opportunity to receive a program from a personal trainer based on individual body parameters. Denis posts materials on physical self-improvement on his website: DenisGusev.com and gives out free advice. His video "Super Abs" has received more than 350,000 views on YouTube.

Recently founded the Level Kitchen brand, and offers home delivery of healthy food to everyone. Menus have been developed for each task under the guidance of chefs and nutritionists.

When asked about the future, the athlete answers:

“I think I’ll work for a couple more years. Perhaps I’ll change the category and compete in Classic Phyiqe. It’s clear that after 10 years I won’t be competing. “I have other tasks related to family, promotion of social networks and business.”