Talented bodybuilder Raigo Kuusnõmm: read more about Raigo in the Fitness.ee profile story!
Which sport do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been going to the gym regularly since 2002. I started out with powerlifting, and for almost 4 years now I’ve been doing bodybuilding.
How did you get into this sport (who introduced you to it, how did your interest start)?
How I got into the gym is an interesting story in its own right. In middle school I used to go to football training with my classmates. One day, on the way to practice, my friends asked how much I could bench press. I had tried a barbell and bench exactly once in my life, and I answered completely at random: 50 kg (while weighing 48 kg myself). Naturally, everybody burst out laughing and didn’t believe me. A few days later, though, I was dragged along to the gym and asked to prove it. They loaded 50 kg onto the bar with a straight face, and that is what I pressed. It took a lot of straining, but I got the bar up, and the laughter was suddenly gone. Powerlifting coach Jaan Salu had been watching all of this from the corner of the gym, and he immediately invited me to come train with him. I did powerlifting until 2011, when I injured my back. Since I had built up muscle mass over the years and many people in my circle were into bodybuilding, I finally thought I’d try it as a change from powerlifting. And I started to like it, and here I am.
What is your biggest athletic achievement so far?
I consider my biggest achievement the bronze medal in bodybuilding at the 2012 European Championships.
What does your pre-contest preparation involve?
You have to pay more attention to nutrition, of course. Over the past year I’ve been keeping a closer eye on my nutrition outside the competition season too, so that going on a diet is smoother. It used to be catastrophic. After competitions my nutrition fell apart and I ate whatever I craved. And then for the competition season I’d change everything overnight.
What are your goals for the future?
I want to be better tomorrow than I am today. To develop myself even further and make it to the World Championships in bodybuilding, and not just as a tourist, but hoping to reach the final, i.e. the top 6. Big dreams, but maybe one good day it will happen.
Is this sport more of a job or a hobby for you?
Since I do it at full intensity alongside work and family, it’s more of a hobby. Although sometimes it feels otherwise.
Does the sport have a new generation coming through in Estonia, and how do you see its popularity in the future?
There definitely is a new generation coming. I don’t believe the sport will die out completely. Coaches and the federation are working hard to keep it sustainable. The number of gym-goers is large; we just need to find those talents who may not think to look in this direction themselves.
Where do you find your energy and motivation?
I get my motivation from repeating to myself in my head that I can be better than I am now. You just have to put in the effort and do the work.
How many supplements do you take, and what does your everyday nutrition look like?
My nutrition is regular and under control. I rarely allow myself cheat meals. Outside the competition period I don’t calculate every gram; instead I estimate portions by weighing them on a scale and keep them within certain ranges. When I’m on a diet, things get more precise, so that I have an even better overview. I eat 6 to 7 meals, depending on how long the day is. Since I burn a lot of energy during the day, I can also allow myself more food. As for supplements, in the morning FAST Hera80 goes onto my porridge, and after training I have a recovery drink, which is usually FAST Muscle+ with a little FAST Dextro. Every now and then I do a creatine and beta-alanine cycle. Before bed I take FAST Omega3 capsules. Since supplements are a fairly expensive habit, I can’t allow myself everything I’d like.
What is your weakest side?
While I’m very determined and consistent in sport, I could apply that elsewhere in life too, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. Many things have been left half-finished. For example, I’ve started studies a couple of times but haven’t been able to finish them. I’d like to be as determined in everyday activities as I am in sport.
How do you relax/rest?
Here I’d ask: what is that? Since work and training take up a very large part of my day, I try to spend all my free time with my family. Taking time for myself, so to speak, and just being, happens rarely, and when that moment does come, I think I should be doing something useful instead. The best moment is in the morning at the porridge bowl, when everything is still quiet and calm and the daily carousel hasn’t started spinning yet. At the same time, it’s lovely when I come home from work and my child runs to meet me, beaming, and instead of a hug wants to start playing hide-and-seek and other games right away. Every moment spent together with my family is my rest.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
There were definitely a great many of those jobs, but I don’t think any of them had anything to do with sport, even though I was already the best in my class at sport in the early grades.
Interviewer: Fitness.ee; answers: Raigo Kuusnõmm
Source:Turg.Fitness.ee
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