Ronny Rockel

Ronny Rockel Bio
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 220 contest; 240 off season
Birthday: July 12, 1972
Birthplace: Schlema, Germany
Current residence: Zwickau, Germany
Status: lives with his girlfriend
Occupation: skilled tiler, now professional bodybuilder and fitness trainer

Contest history:
2009 Arnold Classic 10th
2009 Ironman Pro 3rd
2008 Romania GP 3rd
2008 Mr. Olympia 14th
2008 New York Pro 3rd
2008 New Zealand Grand Elite Pro 6th
2008 Australian Grand Prix 6th
2008 Arnold Classic 13th
2005 Australian Grand Prix 1st,
2006 Amsterdam Grand Prix 3rd,
2007 Australian Grand Prix 2nd
2007 Colorado Pro 4th
2007 Mr Olympia 11th


BIO

When did you get your pro card? (year and show)
2002 Overall Winner International German Mastership

Did you grow up playing sports? If so, which ones?
Athletics,wrestling,football

Did you grow up under communist rule in Germany?
yes

What was that like?
No free opinion, no travelling to west countrys

Was it as bad as everyone thought? Did the government ration things like food and
clothing and such?
Yes because we had no chance to make a free decision! There was enough food for
everybody but some things like meat and bananas in a limited quantity
I suppose there were no protein shakes or other supplements available…
Definetly not! I´ve seen my first shake in 1990 after 2 years of training! The years before the wall came down I ate a lot of eggs and milk (because I have seen in the Rocky movies!)

How did you feel when the wall came down?
At first when I saw on tv I could not imagine that this happens right now! After that I
was very very happy and visited my sister for a month Frankfurt. the first thing that I
did was going to a gym in West Germany

Was it a culture shock?
How clean everything was at West Germany and that it was possible to buy everything
that you want!

Is that when you started bodybuilding, or did you start lifting weights before that?
I started lifting weights in 1988 with selfmade weights!

I read that you made your own set of weights – is that true?
Yes that is true! Imitated from the movie Conan the Barbarian with Arnold.

What did you make them out of?
With a bar and gears from a metal factory

How did you know how to lift correctly? 
A friend of mine had a German magazine called sport revue from West Germany at this time

How long was it before a gym opened near you? How old were you?
The first gym opened in 1990 when I was 18.

Did magazines play a big part in your progress, learning how to lift and what to eat?
Yes because this was the base for me at this time!

How did you find out about bodybuilding competitions?
In 1992 I was a visitor at a mastership in Gera, Germany! In 1992 I also have seen the
german athlete Thomas Scheu at a guset appearance and Peter Hänsel! After that it was
clear that I want to be a bodybuilder ;-)

Where did you do your first show?
In 1995

What do you remember most about it?
How a bodybuilder looks with 220pounds

I read you placed last in your first show – how come you decided to continue competing
after doing so poorly?
I don’t wanted to capitulate!

I also read that a year later, you came back to win the NABBA German Nationals – how
did you make such drastic improvements in one short year?
I made a longer diet and worked my ass off

How has your pro career gone so far?
I´m very happy with my current development and I think it goes in the right way

What improvements have you made to your physique recently?
My shape has become much better and I will do my best to upgrade my whole physique
for the 2008 Mr Olympia

What improvements do you want to make this season?
I will come harder an heavier at the next show
Do you think your symmetry can compete well against the bigger guys in the pros like Jay Cutler, or fo you think you get overlooked?

I think with my new package at the 2008 Mr O I can keep up with guys like Jay. Judgement day is the Mr O and we will see what happens

What do you want to accomplish in this sport?
Top 5 at the Arnold Classic and Mr Olympia

5 random questions:
1. Who is your favorite bodybuilder of all time? Ronnie Coleman
2. What is your favorite American junk food? A big American burger with a lots of meat
3. Do you know how to cook? Yes of course, I cook all my meals
4. Do you think American beer is shit? (most Germans I know think this!) for me
(because I don’t drink beer) it all taste the same!
5. Have you ever worn lederhosen? (Be honest!) I´m honest! No! only the people in Bavaria wear lederhosen. I live in Saxony this is the next state to Bavaria BUT not Bavaria
6. How many times have you seen “Beer League?”not even one time! Never!

TRAINING
What is your weekly training split?
Monday morning:back,calves in the evening: triceps
Tuesday morning:back shoulders in the evening:biceps
Wednesday only in the evening legs
Thursday morning shoulders,abs in the evening biceps and cardio for 30 minutes
Friday day off
Saturday all from the beginning again

When do you do cardio and for how long?
In the off season: 2 times a week for 30 minutes
Competition: everyday 30-45 minutes after training

Has chest been a difficult part for you to develop?
Not really

What is your chest routine?
Incline benchpress 3 sets 2.benchpress 3 sets 3. Butterfly 3 sets 4.cable cross 3 sets and then 2 sets dips or pullovers

I have five moves they are going to use for the layout:
1. Smith machine incline press
2. Smith machine flat press
3. Dumbbell incline press
4. Machine parallel dip
5. Cable crossover flye

What order do you do these moves in for your workout?
in this order!

Why do you use the Smith machine for your incline and flat bench presses instead of a
barbell?
I use them both, I just switch between the smith and barbell!

How many sets and reps do you do for each exercise?
3 sets offseason 5-10 reps, preparation 10-20 reps

Do you do a warm up set or two before your first move?
Yes because to prevent injury.

Instead of machine dips, do you ever do free dips using your bodyweight? Why or why not?
Always the free dips with my bodyweight!

Are there any moves not listed here that you use regularly in a chest workout?
Dumbbell incline flys.

What moves would you take out to incorporate these other moves?
-Cable cross for the over chest with cable cross for the lower chest
-flat bench press with tight bench press for the inside chest

Do you believe in heavy weight, low reps, or vice versa?
Heavy weight with low reps is the best to gain some more muscle.

Does your training change between on season and off?
Yes I always change the exercises so that the muscle always gets a new impulse

Do you ever do decline moves for chest? Why or why not?
Yes sometimes I make reduction sets with 8 reps-8 reps-8 reps! Because with that you can shock the muscle and do more than only 100% 

How has your chest training changed over the years?
I became stronger and lift more weight

Do you train chest alone or with another bodypart?
Mostly alone

If you train it with another part, do you train chest first or second? Why?
Chest always at first because I´m stonger when I do the chest workout in the beginning.
And I can lift more weight