Carlos Belcast enjoys boxing for cardio.
Carlos Belcast is quickly making a name for himself in the world of fitness and bodybuilding, earning widespread recognition for his incredible physical transformation. But who exactly is Carlos Belcast, and what was his journey before stepping into the spotlight? How did he achieve his chiseled, muscular physique? Discover his story, the challenges he overcame, and the exercises that helped Carlos Belcast sculpt his remarkable physique.
| Full Name: Carlos Belcast | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 172 lbs (78 kg) | 5´10” (178 cm) | 10/05/1998 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder/Fitness Influencer | 2020s-Till date | North American |
Carlos Belcast’s Biography
Carlos Belcast, also known as “El Padrino,” was born October 5th, 1998, and raised in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He was educated and graduated in his hometown and made the decision to enter the fitness industry just a few years ago. His passion was to build an aesthetically pleasing physique with considerable muscle mass.
Rise to Fame
Carlos Belcast constantly shared his diet tips and workout routines on his social media pages. In 2019, he took another step to launch his YouTube channel, where he shared his experiences, including the mistakes he made in the early part of his bodybuilding career. Those videos showed the originality and dedication that defined the fitness influencer, getting him millions of views.
From a regular YouTuber, he transitioned into a fitness influencer, building his brand and collaborating closely with well-known names such as Gymshark, RAW Nutrition, and Revive MD. Even six-time Classic Physique champ Chris Bumstead had high praise for him. He brought Belcast to his RAW team after a session at a fitness event.
Challenges
El Padrino also faced some challenges. An accident hospitalized him for two weeks, and Belcast lost 33 lb (15 kg), including muscle mass, during that time. When he had fully recovered, he doubted that he could ever be the athlete he had vowed to be. It almost discouraged him from bodybuilding, but he made a resolution and focused on what he loves to do: build muscle and inspire people to be the best versions of themselves.
Bodybuilding saved his life and rescued him from a deep, sinking hole. It gave him focus, a goal to achieve, and showed him what he was capable of.
“When I get into the gym, I clear myself of absolutely any problems, any stress I have in my life. Any negative vibes it simply goes away. I’m happy to get to do what I do for a living, and I’m going to continue giving it my 100% until I achieve each of my goals, my dreams, and I can show myself how far I can go with my own effort.”
— Carlos Belcast
Social Media Presence
Today, Carlos Belcast remains popular on his platforms with a significant number of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. His fitness content creativity has earned him a reputation as one of the most followed personalities from Mexico.
Currently, Belcast has over 5 million followers on Instagram, 6.6 million followers on TikTok, and 1.46 million subscribers on YouTube. On each of these platforms, he shares his lifestyle tips, training routines, and nutrition practices.
Belcast’s Training
Carlos Belcast loves to incorporate resistance lifting and cardio. Resistance training helps him build muscle, while his cardio helps with his boxing program.
Carlos Belcast does a bro split, where he focuses on individual muscle groups. Before starting his training, he never misses his pre-workout drink. Pre-workouts help increase your energy levels, leading to better exercise performance, which is good for muscle and strength gains (1).
For warm-ups before his major routines, he doesn’t do static stretches because he believes this makes one more prone to injury. He sticks to dynamic stretches. This study shows that performing dynamic warm-ups can help get the blood flowing and improve your movements for your major exercise routines (2) (3).
Shoulders
Before he starts his shoulder workout, he warms up by using light plates to perform lateral raises, internal and external rotations. He does three sets of 30 reps for these routines. Also in his shoulder warm-ups, he includes resistance band stretches.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Military Presses | 3 | 10 |
| Machine Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
| Cable Face Pulls | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Presses | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 3 | 10-12 |
Chest
Belcast likes to start his chest workout with an incline press or machine press to work his pectoral muscles. He says the incline chest press is his favorite exercise. Here are some of his chest routines.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline Chest Presses | 3 | 10-12 |
| Machine Chest Flys | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated Chest Presses | 3 | 10-12 |
| Machine Lying Chest Flys | 3 | 10-12 |
Back & Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Alternating Grip Machine Lat Pulldowns | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Chest Supported Rows | 3 | 10-12 |
| 45 Degree Lat Pulldowns | 3 | 10-12 |
| Kroc Rows | 3 | 10-12 |
| Machine Pullovers | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated Machine Rows | 3 | 10-12 |
Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Cable Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
| Reverse EZ Bar Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
| Alternating Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
| Hammer Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Back Squats | 4 | 10-12 |
| Hack Squats | 4 | 10-12 |
| Leg Extensions | 4 | 8-12 |
| Lying Leg Curls | 4 | 10-12 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 4 | 10-15 |
| Smith Machine Calf Raises | 4 | 10-15 |
Carlos Belcast’s Nutrition
Carlos Belcast stays well hydrated because he sweats a lot. He drinks approximately six liters of water daily, including during his workouts. Some supplements he takes include creatine monohydrate, collagen powder, and protein isolate. Creatine is an effective and efficient supplement for muscle growth (4). Below is his sample meal for a day:
Meal One
Meal Two (Pre-Workout)
- Rice Pudding
- Pre-Workout Drink
- Doughnuts
Meal Three (Post-Workout)
- Cream of Rice
- Protein Powder
Meal Four
- Beef
- Mashed Potatoes
- Vegetables
Meal Five
- Chicken
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Coffee
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References
- Panayi, S., & Galbraith, A. (2022). Acute Ingestion of a Commercially Available Pre-workout Supplement Improves Anaerobic Power Output and Reduces Muscular Fatigue. International journal of exercise science, 15(6), 455–472. https://doi.org/10.70252/NVMJ5392
- Frantz, T. L., & Ruiz, M. D. (2011). Effects of dynamic warm-up on lower body explosiveness among collegiate baseball players. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 25(11), 2985–2990. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31820f509b
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Wu, S. H., Chen, K. L., Hsu, C., Chen, H. C., Chen, J. Y., Yu, S. Y., & Shiu, Y. J. (2022). Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients, 14(6), 1255. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061255
