Stefano Travaglini - natural bodybuilder

 
Hi Stefano. 2021 was an important year, wasn't it?
 
Hi! Yes, you're right, the competition season I've just finished was probably the most rewarding one from a competitive point of view. 
 
What were your goals? Did you achieve them all? 
 
To be honest, my original plan for 2021 was not to compete and to focus solely on my work as a coach, as far as bodybuilding is concerned. Then, after finding out that an event would be held in memory of a former colleague, I decided to take part… and since appetite comes with eating, as my shape improved I set my sights on other events. Some of these were cancelled or postponed because of Covid, so I ended up not doing them. However, this allowed me to turn my attention to other events that I hadn't initially considered and that seemed out of reach, since they were "open" competitions (so without doping controls) and, as a natural athlete, I would definitely have started at a disadvantage. Fortunately, though, they went much better than I had expected… 
 
If I'm not mistaken, you have quite a few trophies in your cabinet. Which are the most significant? 
 
I can't help but answer this year's, with my wins at the IFBB "La Serenissima" trophy and the overall title at the WABBA Italian championship (after also winning the overall title at the Triveneto a few weeks earlier), precisely because, being "open" competitions, they were the ones where a good placing was least expected. Every win is important, though, and leaves you with something more than a cup or a medal, because it marks the end of a journey of growth (and not just muscle growth). So my first NBFI overall title in my debut year and the 2019 AINBB overall title at the Rimini fitness fair also have a special place in my ranking of the wins I remember with the most satisfaction. 
 
Tell us a bit about yourself: how did your passion for bodybuilding begin? What does it mean to you?
 
My love for this discipline started early. I was 12 and playing football (I had been since I was 5), but being the skinniest in the team I needed to strengthen my build a bit to become a better footballer. Then, over time, I realised that my passion for bodybuilding was greater than my passion for football, and I began to devote even more attention to it, becoming more and more passionate about it and deciding to make it my job. 
 
How do you divide your life and your training during the season? 
 
Training is a constant throughout the year, both during preparation and away from competitions. It isn't just the means to reach better physical condition but also, and above all, an outlet for my physical and mental wellbeing. Although I have a fairly demanding life, with two jobs and other family commitments that keep me busy for several hours, I always try to carve out time for my daily training. The only difference lies in the priorities… and the closer the competition gets, the more training becomes the pivot around which the rest of my daily commitments revolve 
 
Let's talk about nutrition: diet is fundamental in your discipline. What do you eat? Are there differences between the various phases of the season? 
 
A healthy, balanced diet is certainly the key in bodybuilding, as it is in every other sport. Fortunately, compared with a few years ago, when it seemed that a bodybuilder's diet was nothing but rice, chicken and broccoli, things have changed and the approach has generally become more varied. In the years when I'm not competing, or in any case when I'm not in preparation, I eat according to my appetite, favouring quality foods but not turning down the odd dinner out with my girlfriend or friends and allowing myself some "extra" foods every now and then. However, close to a competition the list of foods I choose from certainly gets shorter and, in my case at least, rice, red meat and eggs dominate. Everything is weighed and calculated according to the goals. 
 
Which supplements do you use most and consider indispensable? Here too, do they change depending on the period of the season? 
 
The supplements I use constantly in every phase of the year are a good multivitamin and mineral (Mivitop), vitamin C (Ascocid), vitamin D (Vitamin D) and creatine (Creatyl). The others vary depending on the period. When I'm not in preparation, given the greater protein requirement (in my case), I add some whey (Mirabol), while during the competition season I usually include essential amino acids (Aminotool) and branched-chain amino acids (Volamin), a carbohydrate and electrolyte supplement (Isodrink) and some glutamine (Glutamass). 
 
Is it OK to invite a bodybuilder to lunch, or is it better not to? 
 
In the pre-contest phase he might well decline the invitation or bring his own meal from home, already weighed and cooked in advance, just to be safe. In the off-season, though, he'll be happy to accept and might even amaze you with how much one person can put away! 
 
What do you say to people who don't know this world and find it hard to believe that certain results can be achieved naturally? 
 
There have always been sceptics and there always will be. If some people are accused of doping despite never having used banned substances, it means the level is rising… and the fact that more and more athletes are in this position gives me hope that in the near future these exceptions will be recognised as a standard, proving that doping is not the key to a first-place physique; the key is the combination of proper preparation and years and years of work. 
 
Goals for the future?
 
As for my future goals, I've decided to invest the next 2-3 years in a building phase (or at least I hope so), and then return to competing above 80kg. At the moment, the two milestones I'd like to reach sooner or later are winning the DFAC world championship and earning an IFBB pro card (as a natural athlete, of course).
 
Good luck, champ, and thank you for your time!