Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
7x Mr. Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis presents Straight Outta The Lair, the podcast that aims to bring you vital information for your life's ambitions, providing valuable insight from interviews of the many many different faces that walk through our doors at The Dragon's Lair Las Vegas and a few from the man himself.
Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
Bruno Santos | Road to Mr. Olympia 2024 | Straight Outta The Lair Podcast
What happens when a professional bodybuilder takes a two-year break only to return stronger than ever? Join us as we highlight the inspiring Bruno Santos, who recently clinched his first ProWin and secured a formidable second-place finish in Reno. Bruno shares the secrets behind his transformative conditioning strategy that led him to outshine some of the industry's top athletes. He opens up about the relentless preparation, from a strict diet of just tilapia to navigating the challenges of competing across different countries and time zones. This episode is a powerful testament to Bruno's indomitable spirit and his unwavering focus on making it to the Olympia 2024 stage.
In an engaging conversation, Bruno reflects on the surreal journey from his pro debut in Romania to his triumphant achievements, all while maintaining a playful approach to his fitness regime. Discover how the joy of fulfilling his lifelong dream is intensified by the motivation he draws from his son, Benicio. We also touch on the camaraderie and support he found in the bodybuilding community, particularly from legends like Flex, and how overcoming language barriers has enriched his journey. As Bruno gears up for the historic 60th Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, we celebrate his extraordinary accomplishments and the exciting milestones yet to come.
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----- Content -----
00:00:00 - Intro
00:14:24 - Bruno Santos at Mr Olympia
00:21:32 - The Journey of Bruno Santos
straight out the lair olympia week rock and of course, you know, I get to see a lot of people that I have not seen for a long time and nobody comes bigger than this guy sitting in front of me. You are fresh off his first ProWin and second place last week in Reno, my friend Bruno Sanos. Welcome to the show, my friend.
Speaker 3:Thank you, flex. Thank you. It's a big moment for me. You, great person, great athlete. Admiration for your work. Thank you for the reception in Dragons in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1:Thank you, my friend of course, and as we were speaking, we were going back and forth about him coming to Las Vegas. He was messaging me weeks ago hey, flex, I'll be here on this day. I cannot wait. And he said don't forget now, flex, I don't speak very good English. What?
Speaker 2:the heck. It's pretty good, it's incredible. Yes, more or less.
Speaker 3:It's pretty good.
Speaker 1:No, he comes into the office. He's telling us all these stories. I said Bruno, sit in the chair.
Speaker 3:We're doing a podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going live with this in Renault. Second place full athletes, better athletes, level one Brett first place great athlete, great condition, special, great show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that comparison with you and Brett you beat them on some poses, brett beat you on some poses. It was a great battle. It was a great battle and a lot of people didn't have you in the mix to be in contention for the win that you had, let alone the second place in Reno. You've shocked a lot of people, bruno.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was off the competition for two years. My return in Italy for for wicking 30 place After I competed in UK Europa Pro, I first played my passport was for the Olympia 2024. A big conquest for me, after Renault second place. I'm happy I'm so happy.
Speaker 1:Well, taking that time off, you've made fucking incredible improvements. To step back on stage and then take a top three against.
Speaker 2:Hunter Labrada.
Speaker 1:Andreas Presti, who was obviously that was his hometown in Italy. And for you to come into the mix, there was Hunter is a great person.
Speaker 3:Happy, happy, happy, happy every day, physical hunting um the physical full condition. Uh, hell, hell, uh. First place yeah.
Speaker 1:What, what was your mindset and your plan going into these shows? Because you knew that. You know Hunter, for example. Uh, he's obviously got been on the Mr Olympia stage a few times. Were your focus? Uh, conditioning. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:In Italy my condition set 75%. In UK judges more details. More conditions. In the UK, my condition, my full so-so. But in Renault more details, my first condition in Renault.
Speaker 1:That's the best. You say yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:But in Olympia more detail, more detail, every day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you stood against Lewis Breed, right, he was here. He's actually in town right now and obviously Andrea Presti, when you won in that show it was a great lineup. Again, andrea Presti's been to the Mr Olympia.
Speaker 3:Yes, In it, Andrea, in previous, Andrea, first In finals. I'm first Seria entre previas ou entre o Antonio, Entre Prejudice in the finals, I mean more detail, no, it more detail, finalization in first place.
Speaker 1:What did you do between prejudice and the night show? What did?
Speaker 3:you do between pre-judging and the night show. Pre-judice In finals 200 grams of Tilapia, first fish Now. First that's it.
Speaker 1:No carbs, just protein, no water and just fish.
Speaker 2:Just fish, I like fish, you like fish?
Speaker 3:now, because fish, bro, I like fish.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you like fish now because you're hungry, but off-season fuck fish Fuck.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, no, no, yeah. Off-season now, off-season, bro, Off-season now. Beef every day, yeah, every day, no fish.
Speaker 1:Bro, I ate so much tilapia when I was competing that it was just a meal. It came in front of me. I was like suck it up. But then when off-season starts, well, day after Olympia, just the thought of eating tilapia, oh my gosh. But hey, you've done it, my man.
Speaker 3:You've done it.
Speaker 1:Have you had the chance, with everything that's going on because you went from one show to the next show to sit down and think, bruno, you made it, yeah, you made it to the Olympia, yeah, have you had that time?
Speaker 3:Yes, my mind no. Process Olympia 2024. How would your dream be? My dream Dreams, dreams, dreams, living your dream Dreams, dreams, dreams dreams dreams Bruno, I sit in apartment, really, really, but minimal time in Italy. And now my mindset no process, it's just go, go, go.
Speaker 2:I was thinking to myself that all that traveling has to actually make it harder, right, because when you fly you kind of get bloated right, you can hold water. So bouncing and moving around so much must be hard, you know.
Speaker 1:I would think well he, he went from brazil right to italy, to uk to america, so yes three different countries yes, leaving brazil as well different timelines and and obviously he's been able to master all that Well.
Speaker 2:I felt his back, so I know he's.
Speaker 1:He's got one hell of a back on him, that's for sure. But when we met, when did we meet, Bruno? How many years ago did we meet? Was it at the Arnold? When did we meet first? Was it at the Arnold Classic a couple of years ago in Brazil?
Speaker 3:Brazil.
Speaker 1:Maybe it was just a quick handshake and bye, but this guy was always on the radar and I always used to say Arnold in Brazil.
Speaker 3:Maybe Arnold in Brazil he off-season yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Couple of years ago, I think it was.
Speaker 3:In Arnold 139 kilos.
Speaker 1:What's that in pounds? In pounds, he's been a big boy. What's?
Speaker 2:that in pounds. In pounds he's been a big boy, he's not a small boy now.
Speaker 3:Now 127 now 127.
Speaker 1:What's that in kilos? What's that in pounds? Tyus, we were going to find out the pounds, because in America, everything is pounds 279 pounds. That's a lot of muscle.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:That's a lot of muscle, so why did you take two years off, bruno?
Speaker 3:Nothing, three 300.
Speaker 1:No, no, no. You said you took two years. No, compete right Off season. Two, two years. Why did you take two years off To put size on? Is it for you to focus on the off season?
Speaker 3:Off season. Okay, you took two years off my focus, but in Brazil, my day is big business, every day, videos for my YouTube channel. In two years of the competition, my focus in my media uh, my injuries, yeah, yeah, yeah, but uh, training every day. My focus in chest and legs. Legs is my first job for my physique, legs is superior to my chest.
Speaker 1:We were talking earlier about Brazil and you had a question about the industry in Brazil.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you know, we had Ramon Dino on and he was talking a lot about the explosion of bodybuilding in Brazil. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just wanted to ask about that. I've never been to Brazil, but we've had a few guys around the gym, you know, big guys, and it seems as though and girls, and girls, but it seems as though Brazil is becoming a bodybuilding mecca. Is that how you experience it? Like bodybuilding is just exploded in Brazil?
Speaker 3:people's in Brazil. Love in bodybuilding people's. What example? Integral Medica Kilometrico Persons Foros Videos. Long, long, yeah, long long, long In mundial In Brazil is a first Loving bodybuilding.
Speaker 2:Must feel good. Energy, peoples Crazy, you get recognized a lot.
Speaker 3:Bruno loving bodybuilding.
Speaker 1:Must feel good, must feel good for that Energy peoples. It's crazy you get recognized a lot, bruno, out of on the street to people say, hey, bruno, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3:Every day, every day In supermarketing, full timings.
Speaker 1:It's amazing.
Speaker 3:People, bruno, bruno, rafael, ramon, flex, yeah, flex, yeah Crazy yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I love going to Brazil, bro. It's truly like he says, it's these fans and they don't. Some of them don't train. Yes, you know, you got old people, big people kids.
Speaker 2:Yes, a lot of nice butts out there too. Yes, a lot of this guy he wants to go to.
Speaker 1:Brazil for the other reasons. He wants to go see the girls.
Speaker 3:I'm going to Brazil. He won't come back.
Speaker 1:Bruno. But, bro, he shoots a lot of funny Instagram videos with some of these girls, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, you do a lot of funny videos, bro of funny videos, bro, you prep, you relax.
Speaker 1:Yeah, calm down off season, off season, yes, yes, testosterone up all the girls. Yes, he's funny on instagram. I think with with what you focused on in your off season. You know, with funny videos and stuff, it just goes to show the other side of br. You know, when you're in the gym, very intense, you train hard strong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then you also show other side. I like training, dancing big kilos every day, but in prep relax. My kilo in training is 7% More relaxed.
Speaker 1:Still heavy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, still heavy. That's why we Usually my mind.
Speaker 3:Yeah, usually More my mind.
Speaker 1:You're training smarter now that you're. Yes, yes, you know again. I think that's the big change for a lot of athletes because, coming from my style of training, I trained a certain style the entire time and come close to the show it's. You know, it can be dangerous because your training is so heavy. You just have to make the adaption right. Yes, you know, based on where you are in prep too.
Speaker 3:In dragons, for example, big machines, adaptation Good.
Speaker 1:We're welcoming you here, my friend.
Speaker 2:And maybe this is you know, this is me, from my outsider opinion. But as you're getting close to these shows, is it more reps just to pump blood into the muscle or are we still going really heavy all the way up into the show? Is he going heavy right now this week?
Speaker 1:So many different styles. I'd like to know your training style. He's asking how you train up to a show. Up to a show. How do you train Heavy Lighter?
Speaker 3:No, heavy, heavy, Heavy.
Speaker 1:yeah, I thought so I like, yeah, I like it. You've always trained heavy too, right? Yeah, heavy off-season, heavy pre contest, yes, yeah, nothing changes.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, but you don to be like sore right on the bodybuilding stage, right like you want that soreness to be gone, so you wouldn't want too heavy.
Speaker 1:I mean again, I don't know you're fucking so every day, bro, cardio, but is it?
Speaker 3:harder to kick, like the whole flex that long after competition, fuck cardio, but uh, cardio with girls, cardio with girls. I.
Speaker 2:Cardio with girls. I like this kind of cardio hey.
Speaker 1:Bruno, what you mean cardio with girls. What does that mean? Now, what does cardio with girls mean? I know what it means. Ah, two hours.
Speaker 3:Oh, look at this fucking stuff, age 32.
Speaker 2:Yeah, today we're going to do a beach workout.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's got his plan down. Limpirova cardio, another type of cardio To make up for lost time, right? But listen, bruno, we're going to just get you in because I know you're busy and obviously you've got the Olympia stuff that you're planning out. But welcome to the gym, my friend. Thank you, man. I just wanted to get you on for a quick interview, but before you leave, tell us what this Olympia experience means for you, being, as it's, your first Flex, but in first time, my energy every day for the prep in Italy, uk, you ran Olympia.
Speaker 3:My energy every day is my son, benicio. He's my energy every day. My experience in Olympia is great, great, great. It's as if I'm not believing it yet, but I don't have no. Olympia is really, is really everyday. It's like a dream for you, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so great for me to see him achieve his goal of winning a pro show.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:And now being, you know, here at the Olympic Games.
Speaker 3:In Italy. This is for my first show in Romania After my pro debut. Show in Romania after my pro debut one year after pro debut in Romania in 2021. Italy is my first show pro. Oh, my first show. Wow, that's good, yeah, phew. So it's all but off the competition two years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but your second show you won. Yes, same for me.
Speaker 3:My second pro show I won.
Speaker 1:It's good, yeah, it's good. And then my first Olympia, I took third. So for me I was there as the fan, also competing, so I was like, oh wow, you know it was a lot to take in, and I can see it through you and your eyes. You come into the gym and training here and listen, I know we're a week out nearly. You know, by the time this airs it'll be a week out from the Mr Olympia. And this guy look at his energy yes, it seems like you're running on energy Flex, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, your energy is my energy.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, flexes yeah, well, your energy is my energy. So, yes, yes, yes. And when you're chasing your dream, you know it's gotta be. I mean, again, it's like he's living his dream right now. So you know, I mean, I think you've already won, you know, and you're just, you just gotta get to that final stage, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:he's already achieved what he's achieved, and this Olympia is the experience of all that hard earned work.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that young kid who was dreaming, I see athletes in TV, in YouTube, but now you stand next to them. Yeah, bruno with Sanson, with Flex, with Raji, with the new Olympia.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, with Raji, with New Olympia. That little kid that wanted to be a bodybuilder is truly achieving his dream, my friend. So from me to you, congratulations on your success. Congratulations on the first pro win. And now you're here for the historic 60th year, mr Olympia, and your name will be on the list, my friend.
Speaker 3:Thank you For a moment.
Speaker 1:My man. Well, we appreciate it. Is there anything you want to say?
Speaker 3:Go ahead, but in two months, three months, my English okay.
Speaker 1:His fucking English is great. It's pretty good, it's pretty good.
Speaker 2:It's pretty good, more or, less, more or less.
Speaker 1:You said you were learning English and then, when you started preparing for the Olympia that you were like, oh, I can't do it After the Olympia.
Speaker 3:I study English every day.
Speaker 1:You know, I was Ramon's English teacher, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I was but.
Speaker 1:Rafael Brando.
Speaker 3:I was.
Speaker 1:Rafael English oh it's incredible, oh it's incredible so proud of him.
Speaker 2:Well, your English is better than Flex's Portuguese.
Speaker 1:Let's be very clear, that is true. Better than my Portuguese, I started learning Portuguese. It's so hard to learn Portuguese so hard. But, bruno, is there anything you want to say in Portuguese to your fans and then in English also?
Speaker 3:I want to thank each one of you. Flex for opening this space for me. He welcomed me very well Before coming here. We exchanged messages Actually, he has always welcomed me very well since the Olympia 2022. So before coming here, I sent him a message. He sent me a message congratulating me for the achievements I had in these last three shows. He said he wanted to welcome me here at Flex and, thank God, everything is fine. He's an incredible guy. I don't need to talk much about him because you know what this guy did and does for the sport. So I'm always thanking him, dragons and the whole team that's here, because we know that the construction he did within bodybuilding within bodybuilding is something that few people in the world have done, and I just have to thank this guy for the affection he has. I agree, I agree, I agree, I agree, I agree, I concur.
Speaker 1:My man, is there anything you want to say in English before we part ways? Anything to the English fans, the English-speaking fans.
Speaker 3:Hey guys, thank you, my name is Bruno. I'm from Brazil. Thank you for momentary flex. Thank you, my name is Bruno, I'm from Brazil. Thank you for momentary flex. Thank you In Olympia 2024, a new physique, more detail in my physique, more fullness. That's it.
Speaker 2:You thank you, peoples wait till you see this guy's back people alright, but one more.
Speaker 3:My English in two one months is okay it's okay now bro.
Speaker 2:I'm shocked. I respect the fact that he's on it. He's getting better me.
Speaker 1:I respect the fact that we asked him To do a podcast literally 10 minutes before when he came in. He was like okay, okay, and I was like let's go, come on, bruno, come on. No, he came in and I was like Bruno, your English is incredible.
Speaker 1:Yes let's go. We're doing a podcast, but it's always a pleasure, mate. And again, welcome to Las Vegas, welcome to my home, which is now your home for the next nine days for the Mr Olympia. I don't know if you're staying any time after, but it's great for me to see your journey and now get to hear a little bit more. And I'll get to hear a little bit more, but more so cheer you on from afar to now get you here in Las Vegas to see you fulfill your journey of making that Mr Olympia stage. So what a fucking story, and one that's going to continue to keep on evolving. So, from Ian Bruno, welcome to the show. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:Thanks so much, Flex. This is.
Speaker 1:Flex it's Rock, we are out.
