Who is Hidetada Yamagishi?
The first Japanese IFBB Pro and bodybuilder to participate in the Mr. Olympia competition is Hidetada Yamagishi. Soon after receiving his Pro Card in 2001, he established himself as one of Asia’s top bodybuilders.
Short Career of Hidetada Yamagishi
However, Hidetada Yamagishi started his fitness adventure as a thin youngster, weighing only 130 lbs., to gain bulk and muscle to enhance his athletic ability.
People are constantly interested in learning the “secret” to staying in shape, but I’m afraid I don’t believe there is one.
Body Measurements of Hidetada Yamagishi
| Full Name: | Hidetada Yamagishi |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | June 30, 1973 |
| ERA: | 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | Professional Bodybuilder |
| NATIONALITY: | Japanese |
| AGE: | 49 |
| HEIGHT: | 5’7″ (170cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 215-225 lbs. (93.0 – 102.1kg) |
| ALIAS: | The Ultimate Warrior, The Dragon |
“I’m a very goal oriented person. I need that adrenaline rush of challenges and working towards a goal.”
Accomplishments
Qualifications
- Sports Nutrition Science Degree – Waseda University
- NSCA-Japan National Certification
- National Certification in Japan for Acupuncture Therapy
Films
- 2013 Generation Iron
Competition History
1998
- JBBF Japan Nationals, Middleweight -2nd
1999
- IFBB Asian Amateur Championships, Light Middleweight – 2nd
2000
- JBBF Mr. Japan – 3rd
- IFBB World Amateur Championships, Welterweight – 6th
2001
- IFBB Asian Amateur Championships, Light Middleweight – 1st
- JBBF Mr. Japan – 2nd
- JBBF Japan Nationals – 1st
- World Games, Middleweight – 5th
2002
- Asian Games, Light Middleweight – 4th
- JBBF Mr. Japan – 3rd
- JBBF Japan Nationals, Middleweight – 1st
- IFBB World Amateur Championships, Welterweight – 10th
2005
- IFBB Iron Man Pro
2006
- IFBB Grand Prix Austria – 12th
- IFBB Grand Prix Holland – 4th
- IFBB Grand Prix Romania – 6th
- IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational – Unplaced
- IFBB San Francisco Pro Invitational – 11th
- IFBB Santa Susanna Pro – 12th
2007
- IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational – 7th
- IFBB Arnold Classic – 13th
- IFBB Atlantic City Pro – 9th
- IFBB Olympia – 13th
- IFBB Grand Prix Australia – 5th
- IFBB Sacramento Pro Championships – 3rd
2008
- IFBB Atlantic City Pro – 9th
2009
- IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational – 4th
- IFBB Europa Show of Champions – 2nd
- IFBB Olympia – 9th
2010
- IFBB Olympia – 10th
- Arnold Classic – IFBB, 8th
- New York Pro Championships – IFBB, Open, 2nd
- Europa show of Champions – IFBB, open, 1st place
- Orlando Show of Champions – IFBB, Open, 10th place
- Phoenix Pro – IFBB, Open, 2nd
2011
- IFBB Phoenix Pro – 2nd
- IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships (a.k.a. Tampa Pro) – 2nd
- IFBB Mr. Olympia – 10th
2012
- NPC Lansing Grand Prix – NP
- IFBB PBW Tampa Pro – 3rd
- IFBB Dallas Europa Supershow – 2nd
- IFBB Olympia Weekend – 15th
- IFBB Arnold Classic Europe – 12th
- IFBB British Grand Prix – 8th
2013
- IFBB Arnold Classic – 5th
2014
- IFBB Arnold Classic 212 category – 4th
2015
- IFBB Arnold Classic 212 category – 2nd
2016
- IFBB Arnold Classic 212 category – 1st
- IFBB Mr. Olympia – 6th
2017
- IFBB Arnold Classic 212 category – 6th
“I played rugby in my teens. I wanted to gain weight to enhance my performance. At the time, I only weighed around 130 lbs.”
Biography
Early Years
Hidetada Yamagishi was born and raised in central Tokyo (Japan), where he developed an early interest in physical activity by playing baseball, soccer, gymnastics, and shorin kung fu.
He started playing rugby when he was a teenager and eventually made it to the top level of school competition.
Hidetada understood he needed to gain muscular bulk, though, as he advanced in the strenuous sport, to keep up with bigger competitors.
Start of Fitness Journey
Hidetada joined his neighborhood gym as a result, and he started weightlifting. He weighed barely 130 pounds at this point and was extremely thin for his age.
But the future IFBB Pro was able to acquire 50 pounds by the time he received his high school diploma because of his perseverance and hard work.
Hidetada was pleased with himself after accomplishing his goal, which inspired him to give up rugby in favor of bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding
Hidetada enrolled in Waseda University after completing high school, where he chose to pursue a degree in Sports Nutrition to broaden his understanding of physical fitness.
The young man’s family urged him to focus on his schoolwork, but he was solely interested in becoming a professional bodybuilder.
Hidetada thus made significant progress on his physique, laying the groundwork for a strong, shredded form.
The young man, then in his second year of college and only 19 years old, had already won his first bodybuilding competition (the national college championships).
In his senior year, he was able to successfully defend this championship, establishing himself as a rising star in Japan.
First Official Competition
Hidetada competed in his first professional match at the 1998 JBBF Japan Nationals when he was 25 years old. Hidetada impressively finished second in the middleweight division.
He now had the motivation to seek a career as a bodybuilder as a result of this.
Pro Card
Hidetada participated in an additional 8 concerts over the following 3 years, earning more athletic experience. Although he frequently finished in the top 3, his best performance was in 2001.
Hidetada finished first that year and was awarded the IFBB Asian Amateur Championships trophy. In addition to winning the contest, Hidetada also received his Pro Card, making him the first Japanese IFBB Pro.
Mr. Olympia
Hidetada finished third in the IFBB Sacramento Pro Championships that year, which allowed him to enter the Mr. Olympia competition in 2007. As a result, he made history by becoming the first Japanese man to compete in Mr. Olympia.
“It’s always an “all or nothing” mentality. There is no such thing as ‘impossible’. We train hard everyday; and even harder the next day!”
Training
Every day, Hidetada pushes himself and tries to train harder than the day before. The Japanese man only exercises one muscle group at a time and takes a weekly Sunday off.
When a competition is approaching, Hidetada ups his training frequency to twice daily.
Workout Routine
Here’s Hidetada’s weekly training plan:
- Monday – Legs
- Tuesday – Chest (morning), Hamstrings and calves (night)
- Wednesday – Delts
- Thursday – Back
- Friday – Arms
- Saturday – Back
- Sunday – Rest
“I write down everything I eat. That way I know exactly how much protein, carbs and fat I consume everyday to monitor my progress and condition.”
Nutrition
Hidetada Yamagishi always keeps a food notebook to record his meals and assess how much protein, carbs, and fat he consumes. This enables him to assess how his eating habits and physical development are related.
The daily goal for the Ultimate Warrior is to eat 400g of protein and 700g of carbohydrates.
Diet Plan
Hidetada’s day of eating looks like this:
| 6:00 am | Fat Burner |
| 7:00 am | Meal 1: 1 bagel, 5 whole eggs, water |
| 10:00am | Mea l2: Oatmeal, whey protein shake |
| 12:00pm | Pre-workout drink BCAAs during workout |
| 2:30 pm | Post-workout drink |
| 3:30 pm | Meal 3: Rice, Steak, water |
| 6:30 pm | Meal 4: Rice, Chicken, water |
| 8:00pm | Whey protein shake |
| 10:00pm | Meal 5: Rice, Fish, water |
| 0:00am | Whey protein shake |
Supplements Stack
In terms of supplements, Hidetada uses:
- Fat Burners
- Whey Protein
- BCAAs
- Pre Workouts
“There’s a lot you can learn by trial and error, so write down every training and meals to find out what works or doesn’t work for you.”
Idols and Influences
Hidetada has a lot of role models in the bodybuilding world since he thinks that learning from others is the greatest way to advance. He mentions the following athletes in particular as his influences:
“Always request constructive critique from the judges on how you can do better for the next show.”
What Hidetada Can Teach Us Yamagishi?
Hidetada Yamagishi is from Japan, where bodybuilding is still primarily regarded as an amateur sport. This contributes to the fact that there aren’t many Japanese athletes competing internationally.
Hidetada, who was advised by others that he wouldn’t succeed as a bodybuilder, chose not to heed their advice and went on to become the first Japanese IFBB Pro and athlete to compete in the prestigious Mr. Olympia show.
Hidetata has taught us that if you persist and work hard, you can achieve your goals.