11 months of preparation, 11 months of dieting, 11 months of completely structured and weighed meals, 11 months of hard training. Michi himself says the time was tough. The result paid off: in August 2017, he wins the INBF Natural Muscle Mayhem in Los Angeles. We speak extensively with our athlete about how he felt during this time, how it changed him, and what else is part of his life besides bodybuilding.
Johanna: You started 11 months before the big day with your hard training plan and diet – that is a really long period. How was your state of mind during the entire preparation period?
Michael: It was actually okay, I was totally relaxed. Many people say that during such a dieting phase you are totally stressed and also prone to stress. At a certain body fat percentage, that is also true. Towards the very end, according to my friends and my girlfriend, I wasn't cranky or anything, but very, how can I put it, "focused". At some point, the body practically switches into survival mode. Your body itself doesn't know that you are preparing for a bodybuilder competition – it only knows that it hasn't been getting enough to eat for eleven months, although it consumes a lot. When you get that lean, you have so little fat that a switch is flipped in your head. Honestly, in the last 8 to 10 weeks, I also only thought about food.
That might sound crazy now, but during this time I was constantly watching cooking shows and also invited my friends over for food, although I didn't eat anything myself. I just wanted to see that they liked it and somehow share in it. (laughs)
Johanna: Wow, I don't think I could do that, deny myself so much. If I'm hungry, then I have to eat something. Something that tastes good to me and of course enough…
Michael: It was never the case with me that I felt like I was denying myself something. I was clear the whole time that I want to compete and to win, I have to follow all these steps. Besides, I knew that afterwards I could eat what I felt like again. Nevertheless, I was very strict with myself – I didn't have a single cheat day during the whole time, not even a single cheat meal. What I missed most was not the food or big, delicious portions, but the time that you spend with friends in a restaurant, in bars, or eating together. That's why I still went to a restaurant with my friends or invited them for ice cream. (laughs)
Johanna: What else helped you during this tough time?
Michael: Above all, in the weeks directly before the competition, Dr. Dome supported me, and during the entire training period, your supplements too – because of the nutrients that you simply lack through the diet. Before I flew to the USA, I was often at Dominik's practice and received vitamin C and vitamin B12 infusions. That also helped me a lot not to get sick, because your immune system is very easily vulnerable at this high training intensity.
Johanna: How much did you train during this time?
Michael: 5 days a week.
Johanna: You also paid a lot of attention to your nutrition during this time. Now, in recent years, it is the case that bodybuilders also partially eat a vegan diet. We are currently taking a close look at the topic of veganism in our blog. What do you personally think of a vegan diet? Is it even possible to get enough protein this way during such an intensive training phase and in competitive sports to build muscle?
Michael: There are a few natural bodybuilders who eat exclusively vegan, and I basically think it is possible. I myself do not eat vegan, although I like to eat vegan once in a while. My criticism regarding muscle building is the amino acid leucine. With a vegan diet, it is difficult to supply enough of this at every single meal so that muscle protein synthesis can be stimulated accordingly and function properly. The latest studies have shown again that with a vegan diet, it makes the most sense to eat various sources of protein. So, for example, not just lentils, but lentils and peas together. At the end of the day, protein is protein. I just think that with a vegan diet, it is difficult to supply enough protein without getting, for example, digestive problems, because this diet is very high in fiber.
I can imagine that people who are not very familiar with the topic of nutrition eat a lot of ready-made products and are perhaps also overweight would benefit from a vegan diet. They simply deal more with the food, and because of the many fibers, they are better and faster satiated, which can then help them, for example, reduce their weight.
Johanna: What would you say is your "One thing for optimal performance" – so what do you think is your one thing that allows you to function optimally?
Michael: Sleep. Enough sleep. You know, when you eat too little – I noticed that myself during this time, you can still somehow function optimally at the end. But if you don't sleep properly, then nothing works.
Johanna: Do you have a morning routine?
Michael: Yes. It depends on how much time I have in the morning. I don't do real yoga or anything like that now, but I stretch for 20-30 minutes – a little mobility. That also helps me wake up, because I usually don't drink coffee in the morning, but rather prefer an espresso in the afternoon.
Johanna: You are in the process of building your own company, writing your bachelor's thesis, and training at the same time. How do you manage to switch off in the evening?
Michael: I was at boarding school during my school years, and it was also very stressful with the workload. They already taught us a mentality back then that still works well for me today: "Work hard, play hard". So I sit down every day and also get done the things that need to be done for that day. But after that, I really try not to do anything else and switch off. Mostly, training is the best time for me to switch off. There are also days when I do nothing all day long and try to completely clear my head. That helps to continue with full energy afterwards. In the evening, I also like to read.
Johanna: What is your current favorite book?
Michael: There are two books that I really liked. Once "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey and "Legacy" by the All Blacks.
Johanna: What do you have coming up in the next few weeks?
Michael: (proudly) I just submitted my bachelor's thesis, now only the last exams are missing and then I'm done for now. As a little break, I'm going to Iceland for 5 days next week – I'm really looking forward to that now!
From our side, hats off to you, dear Michi, we are very proud to be able to sponsor you!
Michael Hiller in August 2017 at the INBF Natural Muscle Mayhem in Los Angeles.