Biotest doesn't sponsor many people. There's a reason for this. We only work with athletes who are already Biotest users and T Nation fans. Pro bodybuilder Amit Sapir fits the bill perfectly.

Amit Sapir was born in Israel but he was raised on T Nation. He's been a member, literally, since T Nation launched in 1998. Amit has gone from knowledge-hungry teenager, to soldier, to qualifier for the 2004 Olympic Games in weightlifting, to IFBB pro bodybuilder. That's why we're glad to have him on the Biotest training team. He's the real deal.

"I started my journey as a pencil-thin 16 year-old from the shallow end of the bodybuilding gene pool. During my first few years I bounced around from program to program looking for 'the secret.'

"Not surprisingly, I made very little progress. Although I was frustrated, even angered at my lack of progress, never once did I entertain quitting. I knew that I'd reach my goals. I just needed someone (or something) to help me connect the dots.

"Then I discovered T Nation and Biotest, and everything changed. I would ask Christian Thibaudeau and other forum members endless questions about the basics. The advice and support I got really made a difference in helping me with my first few bodybuilding shows.

"Now, I'm happy to say that with the tremendous help of John Meadows, Biotest supplements, and T Nation, I am getting to top of my field as a pro bodybuilder, and I'm looking forward to helping others and sharing my experiences with all of you.

"I was a big believer 16 years ago, and even more so today. I hope my story and my journey back to the Olympia stage will inspire many up-and-coming athletes. Feel free to ask me questions, and I'll do my best to provide the kind of interaction and support that makes a real difference in building your body."

Amit Sapir

John Meadows, who has been working with Amit, has this to say:

"I'm excited and proud to welcome Amit Sapir to the team of Biotest sponsored athletes. I've been working with Amit Sapir for the last six months. When we started, he was already pretty close to a contest, which meant we had little time and had to pick one objective and nail it. It was all about peaking perfectly.

"As it turned out, Amit was a top 10 finisher, but we both knew that with more time to prepare, he could've done better. Considering he came into the show around 195 pounds (at 5'3"), I wanted to see him pack on more mass. I set the immediate goal of reaching 240, which is a target he's never been able to hit.

"When I say 240, I mean a lean 240, which would required a substantial increase in food intake, and an even greater increase in the amount of carbs he was used to consuming.

"When it comes to carbs, let me define the meaning of "substantial," because most bodybuilders probably would interpret that to mean adding 100 grams or so. In Amir's case, I had him taking in 1000 grams of carbs a day, 300 of which coming from Plazma the days I trained with him. He loved it.

"Amit recently hit the 240-pound goal, and like I said, it's a lean 240. Needless to say, he's a believer in carb utilization and he's a believer in Biotest.

"Now with the full backing of Biotest, I'm confident that Amit is going to shake things up in the 212 class this year. He's the absolute strongest squatter and deadlifter I've ever trained with in the bodybuilding world. I have spotted him on squats while he repped out 585 like a warm up. And I've watched him destroy 725 on a deadlift the day AFTER we did back.

"I predict that Amit's work ethic and Biotest's advanced hypertrophy protocols are going to spell disaster for a lot of his competitors."

John Meadows