Simeon Panda is one of the most influential names when it comes to being in the athletic world at a professional level. He started working hard right when he was just 16 years old and had just begun college. Now, however, he is a fitness entrepreneur and a natural bodybuilder.

Before he began bodybuilding, Simeon Panda was rather on the leaner side. He was 6’1″ (185.5 cm) tall and had an athletic built because he played sports like rugby and ran track. However, he wanted to bulk up which his sports were not letting him to. He finally decided that he will have to make some major changes in his lifestyle to get the results that he has forever been searching for. It was when he took up weight training. He worked hard towards achieving what he has today. “Though some may be able to throw a stone up a hill I am prepared to push a boulder up a mountain lest I do not try,” he said.Simeon has taken part in many bodybuilding shows worldwide, and even won the European Championships in 2013 and also earned himself Musclemania Pro status. Now, he is often seen judging many bodybuilding shows all over the world. Besides this, he is also the owner of his own clothing brand and has a sportswear company. He is a successful fitness entrepreneur.

From Home Workouts To Pro StatusSimeon Panda first started lifting when he was just 16 years old. Being a skinny teenager he wanted to improve his strength and overall size. He was inspired to move on his fitness journey when he met an old friend in college who now had a very muscular and rippling physique. Simeon got inspired by his efforts and asked him his life story. Just like his friend, Panda began doing his workouts at home too. He went out and bought a set of weights for himself almost immediately. Since that day, he fell in love with bodybuilding and has not looked back.He recalls, “I purchased weights that same day and fell in love with working out. I remember I would get back from college excited to train.” He says that used to work out every day without a day missed. He said he was further inspired when his family members started noticing changes in him. In his words, “I was training in my living room and a friend of my brothers who had not seen me in a while came over and was shocked and said I was huge. That really motivated me to go at it even harder.”

With his newfound motivation, he went a notch up. He bought some heavier weights and upped his game. Ever since he has not given up on fitness research and learning more about the anatomy of the human physique and various other muscle groups. He has been finding new and different ways to improve his physique every day.But before we moved on to knowing his fitness secrets, here is a look at his statistics:

Simeon Panda Statistics

• Height: 6’1″ (185.5cm)
• Weight: 225 – 235 lbs (102.1 – 106.6 kg)
• Year of Birth: 1986
• Birthplace and Current Residence: London, England
• Birth Sign — Gemini
• Occupation — Fitness model, Online Personal Trainer
• Biceps size — 21 inches (53 cm)
• Chest size — 50 inches (79cm)
• Waist size — 31 inches (70cm)
• Body fat percentage — Less than 7%
• Pro Career Highlights: 2013 Musclemania Universe Championships, heavyweight tall class, fourth; 2013 Musclemania World Championships, heavyweight tall class, third

That's all about Simeon Panda's accomplishments and highlights. Moving on to how he does it in real life:

Simeon Panda Workout Routine

As Simeon was just 16 years old, although he was pretty athletic, he was very lean and his 6 ft stature made him look even leaner. He played sports all through his school and college years but he knew that bigger muscles would mean lifting heavy in the gym. He had to work hard off the tracks too.

When he took up weight training, just like every other beginner, his postures were formless, and thus his results pretty inconsistent. However, he was determined enough to come out of it. He started by informing himself and self-educating. He began to note down things and ended up with a huge transformation. The skinny legend was no longer skinny but a beast. This also leads him to the fitness industry.As of now, the 29-year-old Panda is a natural bodybuilding pro competitor and a proud Myprotein athlete. Myprotein is one of the biggest supplement brands in Europe and one of the fastest-growing supplement brands in the entire world. Being an athlete himself, he is well aware that each athlete's nutrition should be as unique as their training program, and this the message that Panda is excited to share with the rest of the world.Just like other bodybuilders, Simeon begins his workout with a warmup set and then slowly increases the weight as they go up. However, the difference is that he also likes to drop down the weight as he is coming back. It is called the pyramid set. He does this to perfect his form and for the pump after a heavy set. In his own words, he says, “I normally do a warm-up set then go straight into lifting heavy. This has been the most effective way for me to pack on size.”For Simeon, the workouts must be done with max effort if anyone wants the results. This is the key to gaining muscles and strength in the first place. Just being in the gym wouldn't lead you anywhere.The focus must be on the weights while you are training. Simeon advises against any sort of distractions. He says that one can talk to someone in the gym but must not forget that lifting is a priority. He also says that one must not feel nervous before a heavy set and even if you do it is pretty normal.

In fact, nervousness can actually be beneficial. It will pump up your blood and you will get all hyped up and perform better. This is a great way of a body to tell that you are going through something rough. This is exactly what Simeon too follows every day.

Simeon Panda Workout Split

TRAINING DAYMUSCLE GROUPSMondayChestTuesdayLegsWednesdayBackThursdayShouldersFridayArmsSimeon has been in the fitness industry for over a few years and he has gained a lot of experience. He is a firm believer in training heavy and being mentally stronger. He remarks, “I say mentally because nothing gives me the same buzz as moving a tremendous amount of weight.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFSRp_6koe4Simeon says that muscles will only grow when it is under tension. When the body tries to repair the damage done due to heavy lifting, it will gain muscles and strength. He believes in progressive overload and says that the body will quickly adapt to the toughest routines. He advises making weekly changes in the workout routine so that you do not hit a plateau.

Chest Workout

On chest days, Simeon Panda makes sure that he gets intense and proper warm-up first. He makes sure that all the joints, especially the elbow are ready before you put on a lot of weight. This reduces the chances of injury.

• 1st exercise: Flat dumbbell chest press: 4 x 8-12
• 2nd exercise: Incline machine chest press: 4 x 8-12
• 3rd exercise: Machine chest flyes: 4 x 8-12
• 4th exercise: Standing cable chest flyes: 4 x 8-12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaX83VZugZU

Back Workout

His back workouts are one of the most intense ones that he does and t shows with his sculpted back too. He loves doing T-bar rows. He makes sure he is lifting pretty heavy during back workouts.

• 1st exercise: T-bar row: 8 x 8-12
• 2nd exercise: Bent over row 8 x 6-15
• 3rd exercise: Lat pull down 8 x 6-15
• 4th exercise: Seated row 8 x 6-15
• 5th exercise: Single arm row 6 x 6-10

Shoulder Workout

For shoulder, Simeon Panda likes to increase the amounts of reps. He increases the volume of workouts by starting his routine with warmup sets. He builds up and drops again to increase the volume and pump.

• 1st exercise: Barbell overhead press 6 x 8 -15
• 2nd exercise: Shoulder press machine 6 x 8-15
• 3rd exercise: Dumbbell lateral raise (behind back) 6 x 8-15
• 4th exercise: Dumbbell front raise (seated) 6 x 8-15
• 5th exercise: Seated rear delt machine 6 x 8-15
• 6th exercise: Barbell shrugs 6 x 8-12

Leg Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSrUX1EtBkEJust like every workout, Simeon makes sure he is warming up properly. The knees are one of the most important joints in the body and warmups would decrease the possibility of injuries. Panda likes to lift heavy during his leg workouts.

• 1st exercise: Barbell squats 6 x 8-15
• 2nd exercise: Barbell pulse squats with handle 6 x 8-15
• 3rd exercise: Leg press machine 6 x 8-15
• 4th exercise: Dumbbell lunges (burnout) 5 rounds

Arm Workout

Here is all about what Simeon does for his huge biceps. He uses an arm blaster to make sure that his exercises are done in a full range of motion. He likes to prevent cheat curls. That's the secret to having great biceps and triceps.

• 1st exercise: Cable triceps push down 6 x 8-1
• 2nd exercise: Dumbbell curls with arm blaster 6 x 8-15
• 3rd exercise: Bodyweight triceps extension 6 x 8-15
• 4th exercise: Diamond pushups 6 x 8-15
• 5th exercise: Close grip pull-ups 6 x 8-12

If anyone is looking to build some serious muscles like Simeon, there are three main exercises that he likes to recommend which can be added to your training routine as a part of the full-body workout. These three exercises are:

• Squat – He finds that squats are the most effective exercise. He says, “Absolutely nothing is more difficult and produces more results than the squat, nothing.”
• Bench Press – He says that bench press is the main exercise if you are looking for body training and build muscles. In his words, “The bench press is fundamental in a bodybuilders routine, you get to move a lot of weight through multiple muscle groups.”
• Deadlifts – For him, deadlifts are necessary for the gym. He remarks, “The deadlift is the king of mass gaining exercises, it works more muscles simultaneously than any other movement.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQkKRfdTmlgWhat transformed the 215-pounder from skinny to bulky? It wasn't magic for sure. It was the six principles that Panda swears by, and each of which any budding athlete can put into use today. Here are his 6 principles:

PICK YOUR PLAN AND DON'T DEVIATE

Experienced bodybuilders like Simeon talk of beginners' gain when they begin. However, more often than ever, these beginners are too impatient to experience easy such gains. They begin a workout schedule but their initial enthusiasm soon fades away. Their routine becomes flawed and they add more exercises to that already flawed routine. Thus it leads to nothing but disappointment and lack of results.He explains,

"Once you've started a specific training program, you need to stick with it for a significant amount of time to see its benefits," Panda instructs. "People tend to add things they've read about or otherwise change [programs] up, but at the start, you need to focus on the basics before adding anything more complicated."

Just like Panda says, it is necessary to stick to a plan. But for how long, people usually assume. Well, he advises sticking to it diligently for at least three months. It gives your body sufficient time to adapt. It may sound like an eternity for people who wish o see instant results but it is nothing but a myth. The results that have been earned initially when you begin a workout program, would begin with an increase in strength and then be followed by muscular adaptation. It will lay the cornerstone for everything else that comes later.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzk-KGq7x_A

TRAIN LIKE A BODYBUILDER FROM DAY 1

When it comes to making a workout routine for a newbie, the standard split advice is to do all full-body workouts or some version of the upper body and lower body workout split into even routines. It includes fitting your workouts evenly over the span of two routines.Just like many other newbies who are very enthusiastic initially, Panda, too, worked all his muscles every day. However, he only saw results when he educated himself on the right forms and ways to do a workout. "I did single body parts and trained almost every day," says Panda. He changes the previous routine to handling each major body part on a single day over a period of a week and for one hour. He handled back, chest, legs, shoulders, and arms, with abs tacked on at least twice a week, doing multiple exercises for 3-5 sets apiece.He says that everything depends on consistency and dedication o not give up and be patient. "The decision depends on the time frame you have available," he says. "If you have the time to dedicate to five workouts per week, then this one-body-part-per-workout approach is good. But, if your schedule doesn't allow it, you may have to do an upper/lower split, and that's OK."He says that even more important than what body part you are doing on what day is the fact that you are sticking to it and working hard. "I go at 5 in the evening every day," Panda says. "It's from my former 9-to-5 days. I always used to get out of work and go train, so I'm still in that habit now."https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVj8gBntCi/He asks his followers to set a schedule for themselves and then stick to it by not missing even a single session. He says that it doesn't matter if your workout time is in the morning, evening, or even in the middle of the night at 2 am!

USE ALL THE IMPLEMENTS AT YOUR DISPOSAL

He says that while some will ask you to work out using only free weights when you initially start bodybuilding because they hit a target muscle group and all the supporting muscles that will help with muscle building and balance. And then there are other sets of people who say that working out on a machine is better for beginners because it offers safety and stability. The lower learning curve helps to increase adherence and improves the initial strength and form which is necessary as you progress.He agrees with both sides but also questions the fact that why must we pick a side at all? He remarks, "Both machines and free weights have their place in a beginner's program," Panda explains. "You shouldn't be afraid of hard exercises, though. For example, I would say you should be doing squats and deadlifts right from the start, as long as you get the guidance needed to perform them correctly and avoid injury."Simeon is a believer in doing both the combination of free weight and exercising on a machine. He says that all good programs focus on the importance of both ways because of the different effects each kind of training program offers. For example, you could get the benefits of free-weight dumbbell presses to lead off a chest workout, while also getting the constant tension given by a pec-deck fly or cable cross-over later on in that very routine.https://www.instagram.com/p/B_z3PeHp7Qp/

IGNORE INTENSITY TECHNIQUES—FOR NOW

Intensity techniques that are worth the wait:

These intensity-boosting techniques are super popular and are proven to work, but Simeon Panda encourages his followers to wait until they're at least an intermediate lifter to use them.

• Supersets
• Drop sets/strip sets
• Partial reps
• Forced reps/forced negatives
• Burnout sets
• Pre-exhaust
• Cluster sets
• Cheat reps
• Giant sets
• Cluster sets
• Rest-pause

In his general schedule, too, he adds a variety of techniques and believes in intensity techniques like supersets and rest-pause training. However, he also says that these techniques are not really needed for you to stimulate muscle gains until your first 6 months. These techniques can be pretty demanding because they also need a lot of recovery time. But for a beginner, it might lead you to get worn down quite instantly and to the point where it will affect the quality of other exercises. This will lead you to start skipping training altogether.https://www.instagram.com/p/B_z3PeHp7Qp/

"You can spend a similar amount of time in the gym as a more advanced bodybuilder would—60 minutes, even 90 for legs—but you don't need advanced techniques like supersets, drop sets, partials and others," Panda says. "Add those in as you get to the intermediate level. It can be something as simple as adding a drop set at the end of every exercise, or supersetting two of your exercises on each body part. Just little tweaks."

He says that all you need is to add tricks to your workout and stop unnecessary overload instead. He has a similar piece of advice for muscle failure too. He says, "The same thing goes for taking sets to (momentary) muscle failure," he says. "You don't need that early on to make gains, although I do recommend pyramiding up the weight from set to set."

EAT AS IF YOUR GAINS DEPEND ON IT (BECAUSE THEY DO)

He says that it is often seen that the ones who do not see initial gains normally blame it on the training program. Then they will google all about where they are going wrong with their workouts or find the perfect exercise of a perfect machine. Or more dangerously, they will add more intense workouts to their schedule thinking that they are not going hard enough.However, there is no such thing as a perfect workout or a perfect machine. Even increasing intensity is good enough for people who are in their advanced levels. Simeon suggests that the reason you are not gaining muscle is because of your diet. "You need to take diet as seriously as you do your workouts," Panda says.He suggests that you need to track every calorie and meal for you to see results. It all depends on the macronutrients which will tell you if you are falling short of any of your needs. He asks his followers to write down and maintain a diary if they can. Or even log it into some fitness app. He suggests using the Myprotein app which he himself is an ambassador.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4xxjoBvgU/He says that first it is important to know what you are eating, only then can you make some really big changes in the diet. And it is just like the training. To see some results, you will first have to stick to the diet for at least 2 to 3 months.

Panda is a big follower of building a nutritional approach based revolving around some reliable staple foods. For example, he consumes a lot of fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, all of which give enough protein. He also likes to eat chicken and steak or other kinds of meat but fish is his priority. "Fish is just easier to prepare," he adds.He also suggests that protein intake must be increased as you move forward in your journey. He gives out a list of protein sources which he finds the best:

Protein in 6OZ of fish:

• Fresh tuna 40 g
• Trout 35g
• Tilapia 34 g
• Salmon 34 g
• Mackerel 33 g
• Canned chunk light tuna 32 g
• Haddock 32 g
• Mahi-mahi 31 g

As for carbs, he thinks that it is important not to skip them. He loads up on veggies like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots, and salads. For the rest of his fill, he likes to add some whole grains to his plate. "Whole-grain rice is one of my main sources of carbs," Panda says.

WANT TO COMPETE? DON'T DO IT ALONE.

While some people can join the gym to look good and for aesthetic purposes or health, but some people will only find motivation once there is competition. In fact, Simeon believes that it is the competition that has helped him stick to his workout too. He feels that it is because of competition that he was finally able to do it right.But why, you ask? It is easy because after a year one might want to take it to step further with an eye on winning some title. Panda, who himself won the heavyweight tall class and overall at the 2013 Musclemania Europe along with a pro status at his very first contest, suggests that one must be well educated before taking such a huge step. Become a competition and learn it like a student. One must embrace the entire process of it, the ups and the downs from start to the finish line.

"Before your first competition, you should watch video religiously of some of your favorite bodybuilders posing," he says. "You may have a great physique, but if you don't know how to present it right, you won't do well in front of the judges."

He says that for motivating oneself, one must take advice from someone who has competed before because only they can explain the true scenario to you. "Ask people who know the ins and outs of the sport to check out your physique to critique your strengths and weaknesses and watch your posing routine," Panda says. "Find a team you can trust."However, he also adds that if you are doing this simply to boost your ego, then you will be dejected soon because the stage demands consistency and results. But if you go on to the stage with the right mindset and attitude, you will come out as a winner. He says that the focus should be on the learning process which just never ends even after winning.That's all about Simeon Panda's workout routine along with his 6 principles for having a bodybuilder body! However, no journey is complete without a good diet. Here's all about Simeon Panda's diet plan:

Simeon Panda Diet Plan

Simeon Panda says that his diet plan is no rocket science and pretty easy because it is composed of everyday things. He likes to eat healthy and fresh. He adds a lot of protein to his plate and eats at regular intervals. He makes sure to have at least 5 meals throughout the day and not a meal less. His usual diet consists of foods like chicken, fish, red meat, and lots of green vegetables.

Meal 1

• Oats
• Banana
• Almonds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oVVSPvzO0o

Meal 2

• Rice Cakes
• Cottage Cheese

Meal 3

• Wholegrain Rice
• Chicken Breast
• Vegetables

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tF3ddR81V4

Meal 4

• Wholegrain Rice
• Chicken Breast
• Vegetables

Meal 5

• Wholegrain Rice
• Chicken Breast
• Vegetables

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh9Kv6DvVdU

Meal 6

• 8 Egg Whites
• Smoked Salmon

Meal 7

• Mackerel
• Vegetables

As you can make out from his usual diet plan sample, he adds a lot of protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, and other red meats into his diet. e says that you won't get bored with these foods once you start seeing the results. He also makes sure to add veggies for extra fiber and vitamins. It is only through motivation that one can stick to a healthy diet and a consistent workout schedule. He adds,

“I receive so many emails from people who are inspired by me, this motivates me more than anything, when I train now I feel like I am doing it for them too, I feel like I need to show them all what can be achieved through natural bodybuilding if you put in 110% and do it right.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNbyKY8okRA

Simeon Panda Supplements

Along with his usual diet, he also takes some supplements because of his hardcore gym routine. Here is a list of them:

• BCAA (They help preserve lean muscle, support muscle growth, and promote muscle recovery.)
• L Glutamine (Helps to provide support against muscle breakdown.)
• Cod Liver Oil (Helps in maintaining bone health and preventing fractures or osteoporosis.)
• Creatine Monohydrate (Improves performance during exercise of high to maximal intensity.)
• Whey Protein (Increases size and strength.)

During the initial phases of his bodybuilding journey, when he was asked where does his motivation comes from, he only had one simple answer, “it’s really simple, that’s fun and enjoyment.”But, as the years passed and he gained more experience in the industry and became more involved with the fitness world and bodybuilding, he grew into a perfectionist of the sport and his motivation then moved from being just “fun and enjoyment,” to total professionalism.https://www.instagram.com/p/B_foS56JzcD/

“I have always strived to be better, I love to see progress and I want to achieve the unimaginable.” – Simeon Panda

He says that all the credits go to his self-driven enthusiasm and hard work to study body autonomy and a drive to grow bigger and better. These are some important lessons that we can learn from him if we want to see results and grow in our fitness journey. He had a thrust for knowledge that paved the way for so much better things in life and similarly, we must do that same thing and follow his example.Simeon suggests that if anyone wants to begin their fitness journey, it is better to buy some weights as he did and follow some insanely easily available videos and begin their journey before they join a gym. Self-research goes a long way. And within no time can anyone get a physique like Simeon Panda too.That was all about his health journey including his workout routine and diet plans.