Pumping up

Grand Forks pair compete in bodybuilding, fitness championship
 
Brent Collins spots for Colette Brunelle during a workout earlier this week in Center Court Fitness Club in Grand Forks. They will compete in the National Physique Committee's Bodybuilding and Fitness Figure Championships in Fargo.

Serious bodybuilding involves much more than just pumping iron.

Colette Brunelle always has worked out to stay physically fit, but in January she decided to take the ultimate challenge and train for a bodybuilding competition.

The 33-year-old woman, who has a husband, a 9-year-old daughter and an 11-month-old son, began training with Brent Collins, 27, who has been competing in bodybuilding for about three years.

Brunelle and Collins, both of Grand Forks, are competing in Fargo today in the National Physique Committee's Bodybuilding & Fitness Figure Championship.

A big change

The two have been working out together every morning, Monday through Friday, in Center Court Fitness Club, where they do one hour of cardiovascular exercises and one hour of weight training.

Collins, who is a fitness trainer, personal trainer and lifestyle and weight management consultant at Center Court, said he also works out Saturday and Sunday.

And Brunelle admits that even though she takes the weekends off to spend time with her family, she will squeeze some cardiovascular activity into her schedule on either Saturday or Sunday.

But exercising and the weight training are only part of what it takes to compete.

They also have to maintain strict diets and control their intake of carbohydrates, fat and protein.

"Sometimes, I go through 12 pounds of meat in a week," Brunelle said.

Support system

Their diets also can affect their disposition and their energy level, which can be taxing on their families.

Collins, who has been married for three years, said his wife wasn't real thrilled about the diet part of his competition drive in the beginning, but now she's a lot of help - especially when it comes to cooking for him.

Brunelle said her husband of 11½ years still has reservations about her bodybuilding efforts.

"My husband had a hard time at first, understanding why I want to do it, but he's coming around," she said.

But Brunelle's daughter is behind her 100 percent.

"She's like, you are a winner no matter what, Mom," said Brunelle, who elected to stay home after her son was born but soon will be returning to her job at Hugo's.

Brunelle is pretty sure her husband will come around when he sees her in the competition.

"Once he sees it as a sport and an art form, he will be more excited about it," she said.

The contest

The NPC Bodybuilding & Fitness Figure Championship, which is being held in Festival Hall on the North Dakota State University campus, is a major competition and could attract bodybuilders from across the United States, Collins said.

Although the NPC competition is for amateurs, the winner gets a national competitor's card.

"Once you win your card, you are still considered an amateur, but you are going toward the pro level," Collins said.

The competitors compete in different weight and height classes. Both Brunelle and Collins will compete in the middleweight division.

Judges will look at muscular development, symmetry and definition of muscles, overall muscle mass, hair and skin, among other things.

"You have to tighten everything from your toes to your head," Brunelle said. "And we have to remember to breathe and smile at the same time."

Competitors weigh in on the morning of the competition and perform for the judges, which could take two to three hours, depending on the number of competitors.

They perform their routines, and then the judges direct them through several poses.

At 6:30 p.m., they pose for the crowd.

"It's kind of like a wedding; you do all this hard work, and it's over in two hours," Brunelle said.

But going down the aisle in a wedding gown or tuxedo with a church full of people and going on stage in a bikini or Speedo in front of a crowd of strangers, are two entirely different things.

"It takes a lot of guts to do this and to get out there," said Collins, who would like to start a bodybuilding and power-lifting club in Grand Forks.

Even though Collins has competed before, it's a learning experience every time, he said.

Brunelle doesn't know what to expect, but she was more numb than nervous the closer she got to the competition.

All the hard work has prepared them for the competition.

The average woman has 18 percent to 25 percent body fat, and Brunelle was down to 9 percent or less, Collins said.

Collins' body fat is at 4½ percent, compared with the average for men, which is 12 percent to 20 percent.

Collins likes to compete and probably will continue to enter competitions, but Brunelle isn't sure what the future holds for her as far as bodybuilding and competition.

But they're both sure about what's in store for them immediately after the competition.

"Saturday night I'm going for pizza," Collins said.

"I'm going to have pizza for an appetizer," Brunelle added.