Do you wonder what you could look like when you get close to retirement age? Look Belinda Kosmos’ and Fred Cirella’s way.
The pair of bodybuilders who train at Bodies in Motion Fitness Center in Leesburg came home with first-place trophies from the 2003 Florida State Master’s Bodybuilding Championship in Tampa last weekend.
Kosmos is 49 and Cirella is 60.
And both received training from gym owner Larry Cooksey. They also received some advice in Tampa, where Cooksey placed third.
“I told them not to worry if they finished first, second or third,” Cooksey said. “If you get in the best shape of your life you’re already a winner.”
With 50 right around the corner, that’s been a goal for Kosmos, a certified aerobics, yoga and aquatics instructor. But she was thinking more about next year.
“I’m looking to do Tampa again after I turn 50,” Kosmos said. “I want to be in the best shape of my life and thought that this would give me experience.”
She had no idea how she would do at the level 4 competition. She placed third, out of three, at a level 3 competition in May at Ocala. Bodybuilders can qualify for national programs at level 5 events.
At first, Kosmos said she would compete no more. But then she got determined.
“It takes a lot out of you,” she said. “And you’re counting carbs and calories, and sodium the last week.”
Kosmos got revived and made a concerted effort for the past three months. She stopped instructing and concentrated on working out six days a week. Her regimen included an hour of weight training and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
The hard work paid off. Kosmos brought home first place trophies for bodybuilding in the over-40 woman’s category and also the overall woman’s winner. And she also won the figure competition.
She said that Cooksey, who was her personal trainer before Ocala, was an inspiration and a huge help because of his experience and instruction.
“He’s a motivator,” Kosmos said. “It was good knowing somebody who competed and having somebody here to ask questions. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Cirella, who has started as a personal trainer, echoed Kosmos’ sentiments.
“There’s no way I could have won it without him,” Cirella said. “He was my personal trainer.”
Cirella has been into bodybuilding for years and placed sixth in Mr. New England when he was 30. But he took off about 20 years and saw his weight balloon to more than 200 pounds on his 5-foot-5 frame.
He began bodybuilding again about three years ago and began training in earnest about three months ago.
And just like with Kosmos, Cirella’s hard work paid off. “I dropped 44 pounds in 11 weeks,” he said. “I took seven inches off my waist.”
Cirella weighed 134 pounds during the competition. The workout schedule was intense from Monday through Friday. He worked with weights and high repetitions twice a day, once on large muscle groups and the other time on small muscle groups, and also had two cardiovascular workouts daily. He spent 25 minutes walking as fast as he could on a treadmill each time.
But both bodybuilders will tell you that bodybuilding is more than just working out. Diet played a very important part for them.
“I went from 26 percent body fat to seven percent,” Cirella said.
The diet intensified the last three days when he ate only rice and white potatoes boiled in distilled water. He also cut out sodium. And all he drank was distilled water — until the day before the competition.
“That’s when I shut off all liquids,” Cirella said. “It makes your muscles tight.”
Just a couple of weeks after making his first hole-in-one, Nick Gainer proved the first week in August that it was no fluke. Nick, of Pennbrooke Fairways, aced the par-3 4th hole of the Meadows, which plays 145 yards from the white tees, using his 7-wood.
When Nick made his first ace, he said that he was only 16 aces behind Del Cooper. Ironically enough, the two friends were paired together, along with Ted and Esther Pydo, when Del hit his tee shot only 4 feet from the hole. Nick was obviously inspired as his tee shot found the bottom of the cup.
