Francis Benfatto to return to pro competition after 12 years at the 2006 Ironman Pro.



The first IFBB show of 2006 will be the Ironman Pro in Pasadena, California on February 18th. It is always a very exciting show, as you never know who will be competing in it - which rookies, which season pros, etc. Well, this year, we have a special surprise who is going to compete. Here is the press release.

After an absence of some 12 years, legendary bodybuilder Francis Benfatto will return to international competition at next February's Iron Man Pro contest in California.
Having retired in 1993, this bodybuilding icon who inspired bodybuilding fans worldwide during the 1980's with his powerful artistic routines is still regarded by many as one of the best posers to have ever taken the stage. His departure from competition was greeted with dismay by fans around the globe, many of whom felt that despite his numerous titles and wins, at 35 years old he hadn't yet achieved his potential and was retiring too early.

Benfatto says his retirement was due to a number of reasons, primarily fatigue. "I was exhausted with competitions and also becoming quite disillusioned with the way bodybuilding was going. There appeared to be less emphasis on symmetry and proportion and more attention paid to size and weight. That was not the type of competition I lived and trained for and that led to such disappointment that I knew the time had come to take a break."

The break saw him leaving his native France and moving to Canada before finally settling in Cape Town, South Africa. Although not competing, Benfatto was still actively training and the decision to return to the competitive stage was sparked by his collaboration with a South African sports supplement manufacturer, Muscle Science, during the development of the Francis Benfatto Signature Series of nutritional supplements.

"Although I had retired from competition, I was still training every day in the gym and was constantly being questioned by the other guys on diet and training techniques," said Benfatto. "Having garnered so much knowledge about the dietary requirements of bodybuilding, it seemed logical that I develop a range of supplements that incorporated everything I believed a top bodybuilder needs in his diet. Working on the range with some of South Africa's top bodybuilders got me thinking about competition and at the back of my mind I started wondering how I would fare competitively again. I started training intensely and when I saw how well my body responded after just two months, I started thinking seriously about making a comeback."

With an invitation to compete in the 2006 IFBB Iron Man Pro, Benfatto, whose last competition was the '92 Mr Olympia, decided the time was right to return to the stage. "Although I'm nearly 48 now, I think people are going to see me in better shape than I was in the early '90's! If my training continues the way its been going, I believe I am going to appear at the Iron Man exhibiting the best symmetry, proportion and well conditioned musculature of my career. I think my timing is good because judges are again starting to take note of the purer, more classic and aesthetically pleasing physiques. I will prove that age is not a factor if you train and live correctly. I have probably about 15 - 20lbs more muscle than I did ten years ago so what people will see in February is not an older Francis Benfatto, but a completely new version of myself. I hope that through this, I can inspire other 40 and 50 year olds to get back into the gym."

With none of his previous competitors still active, Benfatto is looking forward to the challenge of competing against a new line-up. His training programme is well on track and has been designed to allow him to spend the last month before the Iron Man training in California. "Finishing my preparation in America is going to be a great motivation for me as it will give me the added variation of equipment that I will need then," he said.

Those familiar with Benfatto's training programmes will be interested to learn that he hasn't altered his well known formula that is renowned for excluding cardio training. "I have never believed that cardio training will enhance definition in a particular muscle group. A simple adaptation of weight training will maximise the muscle growth and increase definition and size. There's no need to make training for competition any more complicated than necessary. I don't time my workouts or aim to spend a certain number of hours a day training. I simply plan my workout according to what needs to be done that day and I always pay attention to how I'm feeling. If I'm tired on a particular day, I rest and I don't worry about it. So I train in cycles and rest when I need. Naturally that will alter as I progress over the next two months but for now it's pretty straightforward."

The IFBB Iron Man Pro is the biggest and longest running IFBB Pro Bodybuilding event on the West Coast of the USA. It is the only Pro show in Los Angeles, the mecca of bodybuilding, with the top three finalists qualifying to compete in the 2006 Mr Olympia. Previous winners of the prestigious Iron Man contest include the likes of Chris Cormier, Jay Cutler and Dexter Jackson. Gustavo Badell is the current title holder.



See Francis Benfatto competing in his last Iron man competition V-063 1991 Ironman Invitational. Click here.



See Francis Benfatto Working Back & Shoulders with Mike O'Hearn. Click here.





Article by
Ron Avidan - Get Big