Pavel Chernogradsky: My main goal is to become a triple world campion

- How is your preparation for the World Championship going, who helps and advises you (coach, friends, and family)? How many times do you train per day?

- I started preparing for the Championship in September, gradually increasing the number of trainings and the amount of work. Mostly I have been training myself because I have the experience in preparing for such competitions, but I still listen to the advice of our coach, Nikolai Konstantinov. He takes care of our trainings and makes sure that we go the extra mile for the World Championship. My family, friends and colleagues truly support me. I am grateful to all of them for their support.

- When preparing for various competitions, do you keep to any diet? What food do you exclude from the diet?

- Currently I am not on a diet, as my weight is normal and I do not need to lose weight. So, I eat as usual and do not exclude anything from my diet. I can even afford chocolate (laughs).

- How do you recover from a grueling workout? What is your favourite method?

- Every week I always go to “banya” or sauna with friends. It is very important to communicate with friends, it helps me to recover, gets my head straight and distracts from fuss.

- What role does sports nutrition play in your training? What supplements can you recommend?

- Yes, of course, sports nutrition is very important in the training process. We constantly use them to replenish the energy that we spent on training and to recover by the next day. We basically buy sports nutrition with our own money, but sometimes MaxPower store provides us with its products in the form of sponsorship, and we really appreciate it.

- Is it an advantage for you that the World Championship is held in Yakutsk? Do you agree with the opinion that home ground helps?

I think that this is a huge advantage, because our spectators root for us really well, and you cannot see it anywhere else. Yes, of course, responsibility to our compatriots will put pressure, but thanks to their support, we will be able to achieve good results.

- How important is your mental attitude? How do you tune before going to the platform? Do you have any ritual, amulet or charm?

- I tune up before the competition, about a week before I begin to visualize my opponents and how I will compete. So, I am getting ready for the competitions both physically and psychologically. There is no ritual, but I always carry an amulet that protects me.

- How well do you know your future opponents, do you follow their performances? What are your predictions about your performance or the distribution of places in your weight category?

- I know most of my opponents, I have already met them at various competitions. There is only an American that I do not know. He is a very powerful and explosive guy, as the record shows. But I'm still more beware those guys I have met earlier, because they probably already know my methods.

Well, about the prediction, I cannot say anything in advance, in this case I'm superstitious (laughs).

Small quiz:

 - When did you last read a book?

- The last time I read a book, when I was in the army, it was a detective story. In my spare time, I prefer to read sports magazines.

-  Let’s say that you have a time machine. With whom would you like to talk face-to-face? Why?

I would like to meet with a recognized strongman Alexander Zass. I would ask him for advice and wonder how he got so strong.

- What would you choose - outdoor activities or lazy sunbathe on the beach?

- Absolutely, outdoor activities. It is too early for me to lazily sunbathe on the beach.

- What superhero would you like to be?

- Oh, I don't even know, it's probably Venom.

- The World Championship’s gold medal or 5 million rubles?

To be honest, 5 million rubles would not be superfluous, but to become a triple world champion is what I strive for. So, I choose the world championship’s gold medal.