The 2026 edition of the Arnold Classic South America – also called Arnold Classic Brasil, is considered the most renowned bodybuilding championship in South America – will take place on the last weekend of this month. One of the favorites to win the competition in the Open category – where there is no weight limit – is Leandro Peres, who will present himself to the public for the first time since starting to work with Chris Aceto.
“I’m going to win. We’ll bring a different version and, at 100%, I think it’s difficult for anyone to beat me”, says Peres in an interview with the column.
Trained by Thiago Xicoria, the Brazilian announced the partnership with the American “coach” – a term used to refer to the person responsible for the nutritional and pharmacological parts of a bodybuilder’s preparation – on the 5th. Known mainly for finishing his athletes, the trainer also works alongside Ramon Dino, Derek Lunsford and others.
Asked about the main differences between Aceto’s strategy and the approach of Matheus Donaire, his former coach, the member of the Darkness team points out that the new coach reduced the calories in his diet and increased his load of cardiovascular exercises – such as treadmill and cycling, for example. “He really pushes, more than I was used to. He works in a more aggressive way”, he highlights.
Peres also reveals that he has followed the professional’s work for years: “I’ve always admired Chris’ work (…) Donaire and I came to the conclusion that we needed help when it came to finishing (…) we know that this type of coach doesn’t accept just any athlete, and he didn’t even think about it when we made contact. That’s why I really honor the work with him.”
After his last tournament, which took place on March 14, the Brazilian athlete received a lot of criticism. Most of them focused on the supposed lack of detail he demonstrated – some of the comments alleged a possible error in the bodybuilder’s submission. “After the Detroit Pro, we realized something was missing,” he recalls.
Still according to him, what “was missing” was “pulling without fear of losing volume”. The main criterion of the Open is the size of the participants. Therefore, some athletes choose not to use such aggressive strategies for fat loss and water retention in order to preserve as much muscle mass as possible.
“That was one of our fears. Pulling too much and being too small”, argues Peres. However, he guarantees that he will present “much more conditioning” at the Arnold Classic South America than in his last versions: “We will definitely bring a more detailed physique”.
Finally, he says he believes 100% in the title and sends a message to his opponents: “Work hard. Up there, it’s going to be a very beautiful war.”
The Arnold Classic Brasil takes place within the Arnold Sports Festival South America, the largest multi-sport event in Latin America. This year’s edition will take place between April 24th and 26th at Expo Center Norte, located in the north of São Paulo (SP).
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