Firefighter flexes muscles with bodybuilding title
Date: 01-05-2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States |
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You wouldn't think they would mess with such a big guy, but Dave Crossett's physique doesn't shield him from the barbs of his fellow firefighters at Station No.43 in Ahwatukee.
"You want some ice, Dave? That swelling looks painful," one joked.
"Dave, stop looking for a tighter shirt and come down," another spouts over the station intercom as he tells Crossett he has a visitor.
Crossett can take the ribbing. In fact, he welcomes it.
Crossett, 47, won the overall bodybuilding title at the World Police & Fire Games in March in Adelaide, Australia.
"Any station you walk into you'll hear that," Crossett said about the teasing. "If they didn't pick on me, I'd think they didn't like me.
"You should hear them at dinner time when they're eating steak, potatoes, a big salad, ice cream and I'm sitting there with my can of tuna."
Crossett's graying hair and kind eyes suggest a gentle grandfather, and he does dote on his three grandchildren. But his chiseled physique stands out, even in a field where a lot of people are in good shape.
That's part of Crossett's motivation for competing in bodybuilding.
"I'm a big believer in the idea that as firefighters we can't do our jobs properly unless we're well-conditioned," Crossett said. "When I say well-conditioned, I believe firefighters should be in as good a shape as professional ballplayers, if not better, when it comes to doing our jobs."
Crossett said when he won the competition it was one of the most thrilling moments of his life.
"The other finalists were a guy from Russia and a guy from Hungary," Crossett said. "When they announced my name and said representing Phoenix, Arizona, United States, there were a lot of Americans in the audience. You should have heard that chant, 'USA, USA.' It gave me goose bumps from head to toe."
Crossett stands about 6feet and weighs about 220 pounds. He looks like he could still suit up as a linebacker for Scottsdale Community College, which he did in the late 1970s.
It was football that got Crossett started lifting weights and he kept doing it throughout his career as a firefighter. About three years ago, he discovered the World Police & Fire Games on the Internet and decided to enter.
Crossett was already in good shape but had to take it to another level to compete as a bodybuilder. He did it without performance-enhancing drugs, too. There is strict drug testing at the game, not to mention the tests he must take as part of the Fire Department.
He won two U.S. regional titles in two years, which qualified him for the World Games.
He typically works out with weights five to six days per week, for an hour each time. Then he does cardiovascular workouts.
He targets one muscle group per workout. Six to eight weeks before a competition, he doubles the workouts and pays strict attention to diet. About a week before the competition, he'll reduce his water intake to show more muscle definition.
He said he doesn't let that routine affect his performance on the job though.
"I always stay in firefighting shape," he said. "I never let any of my competitions affect my job. . . . Even though I'm eating something different from them, I always make sure I sit down with the crew."
Bob Mahoe, a fellow firefighter and friend, agreed. He said Crossett is always willing, if not eager, to help out, particularly when it comes to a firefighter's physical fitness.
"He loves being part of the Phoenix Fire Department," Mahoe said.
