Siim Savisaar competes in classic bodybuilding, and the highlight of his 2016 season was finishing 7th at the European Championships. Here, he shares how he went from the swimming pool to the gym, what his diet looks like during the competition season and what advice he has for beginners.
How Siim Savisaar found his way to the gym
As a child, Siim swam and played basketball. His parents believed that schoolchildren should be active and allowed him to choose whichever sport interested him. Talent came second to enthusiasm.
His move to the gym came almost straight from the pool. He enjoyed the company at swimming practice, but as his friends started showing up less often, he lost the motivation to swim alone. One day, he packed his bag and headed to the gym instead of the pool. His first impression? A large, spacious room full of machines — and a young man doing what beginners do: putting on a confident face and sitting down at the first machine to look as though he knew what he was doing.
He was not entirely on his own. His father often worked out with him, explaining exercises and offering pointers. His parents had trained at the University of Tartu’s Faculty of Physical Education gym, so there was experience to draw on. Things became more focused during his military service, when he read issues of Muscle & Fitness and the Estonian publication “Bodybuilding for Everyone” from cover to cover.
Siim Savisaar’s competition season and achievements
He has been lifting seriously for around eight years, spending half of that time competing in classic bodybuilding. The 2016 season was a high point: 2nd place at the Loaded Cup, 4th at the Sweden Grand Prix, 1st at both the Estonian Cup and the Baltic Match, topped off with 7th at the European Championships. The plan was to get a foot in the door at international competitions — and it worked.
He also finds time for disc golf, which combines being outdoors, the thrill of throwing and active recreation. Such is his enthusiasm that there have been weeks when he has fitted in a couple of rounds after the gym.
Nutrition and supplements
He eats roughly six times a day — three substantial meals and three light snacks. The day begins with a generous bowl of muesli, a scoop of whey protein mixed in and milk poured over the top. His midmorning snack focuses on protein: cottage cheese or quark. Lunch and dinner are simple but carefully planned combinations of meat, vegetables and rice. His usual choice is chicken, sometimes salmon, with beef and pork featuring less often.
Since he works out later in the afternoon, he snacks on rice cakes, crispbread or a banana between lunch and dinner. When he is not dieting, his final snack of the evening is more relaxed — nuts, quark, cheese or ham. Sometimes a slice of good dark rye bread provides a little temptation.
His supplements fall into four groups: a pre-workout supplement, whey protein, ground oat flakes for carbohydrate, and multivitamins and minerals. Siim is cautious about pre-workout supplements — the interest in sports biochemistry he picked up at university keeps him from being swayed by attractive packaging; his choice needs a sound rationale. After a workout, protein and carbohydrate go into his shaker. Sometimes he turns whey protein into dessert: a scoop stirred into plain yogurt, topped with a handful of berries — a healthy, satisfying sweet treat.
Siim Savisaar’s advice for beginners
His most important advice: put your embarrassment aside and find someone more knowledgeable — a mentor who can help you start training in a way that protects your health. Take a critical look at whether you know enough to go it alone. People often spend a lot of time doing things aimlessly, without being able to explain why they are doing them.
Every movement affects the musculoskeletal system in its own way. There are countless aspects of an exercise you can use to your advantage — movement speed, rep count, angle of incline, and the list goes on. Help from someone more knowledgeable will get you good results far sooner than you could achieve with a beginner’s knowledge alone.
Siim’s gym motto has always been labor corpus firmat — work strengthens the body.
FAQs about Siim Savisaar
What is classic bodybuilding?
Classic bodybuilding is a category in which competitors must stay within a specified weight range based on their height. The physique is muscular without being massive — the emphasis is on proportions, symmetry and aesthetics rather than maximum size.
How many meals should you eat a day?
Siim’s approach is to eat six times a day: three substantial meals and three light snacks. This is not a rule for everyone — what matters most is meeting your daily protein and calorie needs and fitting your meals comfortably into your schedule.
Where should you start as a beginner?
Find a mentor or coach who can help you get your technique right. Poor exercise technique quickly becomes a habit, and correcting it later takes more time than learning it properly from the start.
Author:Turg.Fitness.ee
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