Muscled, tone, 85 flex for the judges
Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008
Standing in front of more than 300 spectators, inviting seven judges to inspect, evaluate and grade every bodily imperfection isn’t an appealing scenario to most people.
Not so for the 85 Arkansans who smiled, flexed and grimaced onstage at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock on Saturday.
Around noon, they competed in the first phase of the National Physique Committee’s Arkansas Body Building Championships. The second phase, at which 1, 000–1, 200 people were expected, took place at night. The top two winners in the men’s divisions and the top three winners in the women’s divisions automatically qualify for the committee’s national championships.
For many, the event was an opportunity to parade sculpted bodies honed from hours of training and dietary discipline. As bodybuilders waited in the wings, doing push-ups, calf raises and posing in front of mirrors, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville student Dan Sixbey, 22, explained his regimen: He trained 45 minutes daily for six weeks to compete in the Novice Middle-Weight Division. He said the improvements in his body over three years of training inspired him to keep going.
“Once you see it change, it’s an addiction,” he said.
Drug addiction and alcoholism led Chuck Morgan, 51, to bodybuilding in 1992. A friend and trainer introduced him to the sport’s merits and “it saved my life,” Morgan said backstage during his fifth state championship competition.
In early 2006, he opened Fuse Family Gym in Bentonville and now gives a 50 percent discount on membership to people who are battling the same problems he once did. Last year, the 6-foot, 228-pound Morgan placed fourth nationally in ages 50-59 Super Heavy-Weight category at the Masters National Championship in Pittsburgh, and said he won the Arkansas championship for the same age classification.
For the night’s 90-second posing routine, which event promoter Chad Nicholls described as the “more artsy, performance part” of the competition, Morgan planned to play Tupac Shakur’s “California Love.” Contestants posed to music preselected by the organizers during preliminary competition.
In the foyer, wares were sold extolling the virtues of more mass.
Children frolicked between booths vending “Muscle Milk” and “Oh Yeah !” protein supplements and T-shirts with the message “Only plants grow naturally.”
Carl Causin, who owns Maxx Nutrition and Fitness Inc. in Russellville with his wife, was selling his T-shirts at the event for the third consecutive year. “They’re a little different for sure,” gesturing toward garments stating “More muscle means more reward — Maxx 3: 16.”
The silver swords awarded to the top five winners in each classification were not the only prizes present for the bodybuilders. Contestants also received more intangible rewards for their efforts.
Monica Specking, 23, walked into the spotlight smiling with hands to her side. She, like the other women, wore colorful costumes resembling bikinis, glistening with Swarovski crystals. As Specking rotated in quarter turns, judges rated her body’s symmetry and maintenance of feminine form with muscular development.
“Go, Sweet Potato !” boomed from the auditorium’s left front row. Its source, Chad Yarbrough, 26, had driven down with friends from Jonesboro to support their workout buddy, Specking.
Smiling, he explained her nickname, “She eats sweet potatoes.”
After a round of the Women’s Figure competition, Amanda Palmer, 28 of Columbia, Mo., said her favorite part of bodybuilding was “meeting new people and making new friends.” Beaming, she hugged BreAnna Thomas, 31, of Jonesboro.
Thomas said she enjoyed the challenge — “seeing what you can put your body through.”
Is there anything she doesn’t enjoy about the process ?
“Giving up cheesecake,” Thomas admitted.
“Oh, God,” Palmer said ruefully, reaching for her stomach.
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