Bodybuilding bonanza

Ricco Riggins is trained in aeronautics and he has a dynamic of his own working.

In a two-week period in July, Riggins won bodybuilding championships at the Ancient City Classic in St. Augustine on July 17 and the All-Star Classic in Jacksonville on July 31.

"I was going to do just one show, but everybody told me how good I looked and said I should do more," Riggins said. "In St. Augustine they said I needed to work on my legs, so I got in a lot better shape and came in at Jacksonville even more shredded."

Riggins, 24, graduated from Albany (Ga.) High, where he played football, ran track and wrestled.

"Weight training was required for the sports and I have been working out for nine years," Riggins said. "I have one uncle (Emarlos Leroy) that played five years for the Jaguars and one (Antonio Leroy) who coaches at Albany State, so sports has always been a part of my family and my life."

After coming to work at Timco Aviation Services last August, Riggins made his way to the Future Fitness gym.

"Tony Curtis (Future Fitness owner) inspired me to do bodybuilding," Riggins said. "He told me to change my regiment and try to pursue bodybuilding and I would have a good chance to enter some shows."

Riggins was a solid 240 pounds when he began training for the bodybuilding shows. He lost down to 184 to compete in the light heavyweight division in St. Augustine and then dropped nine more pounds to get into the middleweight class in Jacksonville.

"It takes a lot of discipline to lose that weight," Riggins said. "I dieted 14 weeks and when you are dieting you have to be training hard. Nutrition - sophisticated eating - is maybe 70 percent of the training and sleeping enough is another big factor."

During his off-season, Riggins does heavy weight training 45 minutes to an hour four days a week. During bodybuilding training it goes to 2-21/2 hours gym time every day.

In the final week before competition, carbohydrates load and depletion are monitored and water intake is reduced from two gallons a day to 40 ounces.

"The last five days of the diet are the most crucial," Riggins said. "You have to time it right to the hour. If you don't, your carbs can spill over and cause you to look smooth. You only have the look for 1-2 days."

That look for Riggins was 3 percent body fat, down from 4.3 percent in St. Augustine (normal male body fat is 13-14 percent).

Even if the body is in the best of shape, it still has to be shown to the judges and crowd.

"Posing is very difficult," Riggins said. "You have to give them a pleasant face, but you are contracting and holding all your muscles and it is like 'Oh God, can we go to something else?' "

Riggins said his wife Vontressa "plays a big part" in his training and everybody at Future Fitness helps out. Joe Moore of Better Life Basics supplies Riggins with the vitamins for his training regiment.

Next up for Riggins is the Mr. Gainesville competition in November. Curtis plans a Mr. Lake City show in April and Riggins will enter. A year from now is the NPC Southern States Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships national qualifier in Fort Lauderdale.

"I want everybody to come out and get behind me," Riggins said. "We want to show them Lake City has one of its own winning and bringing trophies home."