Pumped for provincials

Date: 14-06-2007 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamCanada

Saskatchewan bodybuilders get set to strut
It was nine days before the competition and Prince Albert's Kelly Burns could be found in the gym, where he had been almost every day for 15 weeks.

It's crunch time - the last few days to prepare his mind and body for the 2007 Saskatchewan Bodybuilding Association provincial championships Saturday at the Rawlinson Centre.

"People figure we just come in, work out and eat tuna and rice to get lean," said Burns. "If it was that easy, everyone would be doing this."

Burns started his pre-competition stage on Feb. 24, slimming down to refine his look and showcase the muscles. At the time, Burns weighed 232 pounds; nine days before the competition, he was down to 194. He wants to step on stage in the 180-182 range - the middleweight division. There are many different theories on how to lose the weight in pre-competition stage - every bodybuilder has a plan that works for them, he said.

"It's a challenge," said Burns, who started lifting weights eight years ago. "It's very difficult to do these body changes."

A bodybuilder's workout schedule also changes as the competition grows near. Burns started a faster, more intense circuit 11 days before the competition, working each muscle at a fast pace with one exercise. Prior to that, he had a strict workout schedule: Monday, off; Tuesday, shoulders; Wednesday, back; Thursday, chest; Friday, off; Saturday, legs; and Sunday, arms.

But everything came to a halt on Tuesday, giving Burns' body time to rest before stepping on stage. The bodybuilders also go through a water depletion, where Burns will have 14 litres of water in his body by tonight and will drink only a half a litre on Friday. This way the body rids itself of any excess water, making the muscles more defined.

This is Burns' third show - he placed third in 2003 and second in 2004 at provincial events, but in the light-heavyweight class. And he knows that preparation for the competition isn't just about lifting weights and dieting. Posing is one of the most misunderstood and important parts of the training, he said.

"You need to hold your body in a certain way," he said. "You may have the best body, but if you can't show it, probably all your work has gone to waste. You need to be able to display your body right. It's really the artistic side of the sport. You need to showcase your strengths and hide your weaknesses."

But what a bodybuilder needs most is inner strength, he said, along with positive support.

"I need people to lean on, and my wife (Carly), my trainer (Brian Hrytzak), my (training) partner (Greg Swales) and the gym members have been that for me," said Burns. "It gets tough. Right now all I want to do is eat. People get to go out for pizza and I stay at home."

Pre-judging for competitors is Saturday at 9 a.m. and the bodybuilders take the Rawlinson Centre stage for the finals at 6 p.m.