From a beginner to the champion in the 2020 Arnold Classic Amateur Class C, Zhizhuo Zhang has made a positive impact on the Asian community when it comes to bodybuilding. The patience and willpower developed in this process are always beneficial regardless of what the goal is. And all excellent athletic performance cannot be achieved without regular weight training, according to Zhizhuo.
When did you start to regularly work out? And how did you come up with the idea to participate in the Arnold Classic Amateur Competition?
I didn’t start working out until I came to the United States for my graduate program at NYU. After I was here, I found that almost all the Americans around me liked to work out and kept their bodies in great shape, which inspired me to do the same. My training was really effective and I progressed quickly. I got a lot of compliments from my friends after a year and a half. Then I took part in the NPC Garden State Championships in New Jersey and took fourth place in Class C. This was my first fitness competition and I thought I had some talent. My life has been just school, gym, and home since then. I found out about the Arnold Classic from a friend so I signed up for it. In 2019, I took last place and experienced a low point in my life, but I didn’t give up because I didn’t want to have any regrets, which was why I continued to prepare for the 2020 Arnold and ended up taking first place.
How do you think you managed to go from last place to first place in the competition?
First of all, it’s very important to be confident. You must believe that you can do it in order to really get what you want. Secondly, communicate more with those that are sophisticated and learn from them. Basically, we figured out the best training ideas all by ourselves. Every time you work out, you don’t really have to exhaust yourself. But the stimulation of the muscles must be enough and in place. Not hurting the body always comes first and the effect comes second. The correct diet structure can make the training effect directly doubled when training is in place.
What are your understandings of bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is not just exercise, but a combination of both exercise and art. In fact, the whole training process can teach you more than a good result. It doesn’t just take time and effort, but also requires the trainer to build better willpower. For example, if you get hurt while training, people who work out frequently know that this is very normal and will be able to handle it calmly. But those who don’t work out that much, they will panic and don’t know what to do. I think body art is a manifestation of one’s personality through one’s body shape. Even if you choose to change your career in the future, the patience and perseverance you developed will still be beneficial regardless of what you do.
It is known to all that the aesthetic standards of Asia and Europe and America are very different. As a professional, what do you want to say to the young Asians that want to lose weight or become a bodybuilder?
As a professional, I’ve come across many who refuse to do weight training, especially females, because they don’t want to be too muscular. In fact, gaining muscles is a long-term process that requires lots of effort and it’s almost impossible for one Asian female to become a “King Kong Barbie”. Maybe after a few years of being regularly trained and given a proper diet, 1 out of 1000 would achieve that. But 90% of them wouldn’t be able to hold on to the end. And how many of the rest 10% would be that muscular? The answer is probably none. The best result is their bodies will look much tighter and have some lines than average groups. Another thing is that weight training is actually at the lowest risk of injury, which is super beginner-friendly. Whatever one wants to obtain from bodybuilding cannot be achieved without weight training.
Do you have any suggestions for those who are gifted in sports regarding the ongoing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics?
First of all, never take those advantages given by your parents for granted and always work hard. There are ones that are just as gifted as you are but work way harder than you do. Secondly, never overlook the importance of weight training because all the individual sports like skiing, swimming, or running are actually based on weight training. Weight training is the best way to perform a sport. Your athletic performance is enhanced through the improvement in muscle, not training techniques. Professional athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Crosby James, are definitely not just practicing basketball or soccer during their off-season. They spend a lot of time on weight training, too. One that has those training experiences is more likely to improve faster than one that doesn’t.
