{"id":151127,"date":"2026-02-06T09:01:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/?p=151127"},"modified":"2026-02-06T14:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:18:20","slug":"bodybuilding-in-mallorca-silvias-metamorphosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/en\/bodybuilding-in-mallorca-silvias-metamorphosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodybuilding in Mallorca: Silvia’s metamorphosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 61, Pilates instructor Silvia Guidi has turned her life upside down to fulfil her dream of competing in bodybuilding<\/h3>\n

In October, during the Balear Cup bodybuilding competition, the Auditori d\u2019Alc\u00fadia erupted in applause as the winner was announced. But the presenter wanted to add something more. \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you a secret: she\u2019s 61 years old,\u201d he revealed. Immediately, surprise and admiration swept through the audience and the other competitors. \u201cMany people came up to me, they couldn\u2019t believe it. It was very moving because I felt that all the effort had been worth it,\u201d recalls Silvia Guidi, owner of the Pilates Plus studio in Palma.<\/p>\n

\"Fisicoculturismo

In the days leading up to the competition, Silvia Guidi follows a strict physical and dietary regime. Photos: S. G.<\/p><\/div>\n

At the beginning of 2025, Guidi decided to fulfil her youthful dream. The emergence of new bodybuilding categories such as Shape<\/em> \u2014which values definition and proportion over muscle and body size\u2014 allowed her to make it a reality. \u201cI didn\u2019t think about my age for a single second. I just wanted to see if I was capable of taking my body and mind to that level of demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her daily life has completely changed, from her schedule and diet to her training routines and overall appearance. She gets up at five in the morning and starts with half an hour on the exercise bike. Breakfast is oats with protein, fruit and two eggs. She eats four times a day and supplements her diet with creatine, omega-3 and protein powder. Portions are always measured: around 100 grams of vegetables or salad and between 80 and 120 grams of protein \u2014chicken, fish or lean meat. No fried food or processed products. \u201cI don\u2019t count calories, I count quality,\u201d she explains. She trains for two hours a day, alternating between weights, cardio and flexibility work, an effort she combines with her Pilates classes.<\/p>\n

Pushing the body to the limit<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the real challenge comes before the competition. In the weeks leading up to it, she reduces carbohydrates to the bare minimum and monitors her water intake in detail: she starts with up to eight litres a day and gradually cuts it down to almost nothing in order to \u201cdry out\u201d the body. Two or three days beforehand, she reintroduces carbohydrates so that the body can recover and the muscles appear full and firm. \u201cThat\u2019s the toughest part,\u201d she admits. \u201cWhat you see on stage isn\u2019t how we always are. It\u2019s an almost scientific fine-tuning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aesthetic preparation is also part of the new ritual. She wears strikingly long nails and hair extensions, and before competing she tans her skin to highlight her sculpted physique and applies heavy make-up. \u201cYou have to exaggerate a bit, because the lights wash everything out,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Moreover, her passion comes at a price: a pair of competition bikinis can cost up to \u20ac800, the sixteen-centimetre-high heels around \u20ac280, and supplements about \u20ac300 per month. Added to that are the costs of a coach, tanning products and federation registration fees. \u201cIt\u2019s more expensive than golf. I\u2019d rather be given protein than flowers,\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n

Her social life has also changed. Eating out has become a rare exception, and spontaneous outings are almost impossible. \u201cYour friends have to understand it, or they drift away. You learn to say no,\u201d she admits calmly.<\/p>\n

Guidi insists that she doesn\u2019t do it for the trophies, but for personal satisfaction. \u201cIt\u2019s only ten minutes on stage, but they\u2019re worth months of effort. Through this process, I\u2019ve learnt that discipline, respect for your body and perseverance change you more than anything else. And that after days without carbohydrates, a piece of broccoli can taste like a truffle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silvia Guidi\u2019s physical progression in images<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t\t