If you’ve ever Googled ‘how to get bigger biceps,’ chances are you’ve come across Kai Greene somewhere on the internet. The famed bodybuilder doesn’t exactly have a superhero physique, but rather the physique the superheroes are afraid of, the one that required the re-formation of The Avengers in order to try and defeat it.
A regular at Venice Beach’s famed Gold’s Gym, Greene’s career has taken him from the bench press to comic books to, most recently, appearing in Stranger Things.
Esquire Middle East sits down for an exclusive interview with the hulking legend to discuss protein intake, best workout splits, and the upcoming Dubai Muscle Show taking place November 24-26.
Esquire: This isn’t your first rodeo in Dubai is it?
Kai Greene: No, it isn’t. I’ve been for Middle East Comic Con promoting my graphic novel The Chronicles of King Kai, as well as for the Dubai Muscle Show in the past, I love Dubai. I need my warmth, man. That’s the right weather for me.
Esquire: There are a lot of fad diets out there: keto, vegan, intermittent fasting, etc. In your experience, what works the best for building muscle?
KG: There’s only one diet that matters: a lot of food. You need to eat even when you’re not thinking about food. When you think you’ve eaten enough, you’re nowhere near. In order to gain muscle, you need to be eating every two hours, on the dot, no hiccups, like a machine. If I only ate when I was hungry, then I wouldn’t look like this. Proper preparation prevents poor performance, so if you want to get big, make sure you have the food readily available at all times so you never have to think about it.
Esquire: So what do you say to people who claim to be “hard gainers” (people who struggle to increase muscle mass)?
KG: If you’re saying you’re a hard gainer, then the battle has already been lost. Your mindset has been defeated because you’ve created a defeatist reality for yourself. I went from having the shoulder width of Kermit The Frog, to someone who looks the way I do now, and that’s all because of what I envisioned myself as. The way that I thought was either the biggest ally or the biggest threat to achieving my goals.
Esquire: Due to increasingly sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, delivery food, etc., male testosterone is at an all time low. As a professional athlete, what differences do you notice amongst men today from when you were starting out?
KG: Everything’s so convenient, so extremely accessible. The whole world appears at your doorstep at the tap of a thumb. And although I’m not an expert on that specifically, I will say that you should never underestimate the power of going outside and playing. I used to have to walk to the gym, but now I have a nice car waiting for me, and it’s hard not to succumb to the immediate comfort of driving rather than walking.
Esquire: Arnold Schwarzenegger famously advocated for extremely high volume training, whereas his golden age bodybuilding counterpart, Mike Mentzer, subscribed to the low-repetition, infrequent, high intensity training, and the internet is continuously debating which method is best. What have you preferred?
KG: There are a lot of things to try. The best part about living is opportunity. But make no mistake, all these guys make money selling their specific fitness principles, but it also all depends on what works best for you. For me, I’ve seen benefits from so many different methods, and your appetite can change along the journey. But here’s the thing. If you’re just starting out, heavy weight is not an option. So you have to start low weight with high volume, and then when you’ve excelled, you can decide which path to take.
Esquire: What is your favourite muscle to train, and favourite exercise?
KG: As a professional, I was taught early on that I’m not allowed to have a favourite muscle or a favourite exercise, because you need to approach everything equally. So if you’re hitting chest every day and neglecting back, it’ll be evident on game day. The judges will notice this, and you’ll lose.
Esquire: What are you looking forward to at the Dubai Muscle Show?
KG: All these companies are coming together to create a wonderful marketplace not just for buyers but for fans, spectators, and any aspiring, or professional, bodybuilders and fitness fanatics. I love the people out here.
Esquire: How does your future in entertainment look?
KG: I’ve had the chance to develop a comic book, Chronicles of King Kai, trying my hand at acting in Stranger Things, a documentary about my life is coming out, I’m just constantly trying to develop my own creativity. Writing. Acting. Drawing. Designing. Creating more colourful positivity in every way I can.
