Chicken, rice and tough discipline: Milo (20) immediately takes three gold medals

The world the Nunspeet native inhabits is a competitive one. For him, it started about five years ago. He enjoys sports and stumbled upon bodybuilding via social media. Under the guidance of coach Kay Smeets, who knows the tricks of the trade, Milo got to work. “I’m working on it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I think the whole lifestyle is awesome,” he tells RTV Nunspeet.

Weekday

The alarm goes off at 8:00 AM, and Milo steps onto the scale immediately. Afterward, he drinks a liter of water. Next, he works out on the exercise bike at home for half an hour, followed by his first meal: a carefully weighed bowl of oatmeal. To get his digestion going, he then takes a fifteen-minute walk.

Once home, he prepares the meals for the rest of the day. The menu consists mainly of rice, chicken, and vegetables, all precisely weighed. After another meal, it is time for the gym, where he gives it his all for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Something different every day

Every muscle group is covered. On Monday, for example, the focus is on the chest muscles, triceps, and shoulders. Tuesday features the back muscles and biceps, while Wednesday is entirely dedicated to the leg muscles.

But going to the gym every day? No, not that. Five days is the maximum. He has rest days on Thursday and Sunday. After training, another meal follows, after which he goes for a walk. That is no coincidence: he has to take 12,000 steps every day. After that, there is time to relax, until the next meal is already on the schedule a few hours later.

While he normally still regularly helps out for a few hours in his parents' restaurant, that falls by the wayside during preparation for a competition. “Because you eat so little, your energy level drops. The judges look at your muscle mass, how lean your physique is, and how full your muscles look. You have to stay sharp on all those points.”

Excluding going out and drinks

He ends the day with his last meal: 500 grams of quark with 100 grams of summer fruit. After that, it is time to go to bed. He is usually under the covers around 10:30 PM.

That strict schedule does have consequences for his social life. He still sees his friends, but going out until late at night or having a drink is out of the question. "Even on weekends, I have to go to bed on time to get about nine hours of sleep."

Fortunately, his friends understand. They support him in his ambition to break through professionally in the bodybuilding world.

Youngest participant

Last weekend, Steinhauer participated in the Natural Physique Trophy in Antwerp. That competition gave him a significant boost to continue pursuing his goal. "I was the youngest participant," he says. "And to win so many prizes, that is quite an achievement."

How much longer does he want to keep going? He doesn't have to think about that for long. "You often reach your peak around 35, and around 40, it's pretty much over. So I can keep going for a while," he says with a laugh.