Military Muscle: Get to know bodybuilding

[Junkyard Dog]

Military Muscle: Get to know bodybuilding

By Janet Frank Atkinson
Special to the Times


So, you want to compete in a bodybuilding or figure competition, but you’re not sure where to start. Or perhaps you are curious as to what this sport is all about.

There are two competition seasons that run May through July and September through November. Regardless of which season you pick, the most important step is making sure you allow yourself enough time to train. Many competitors spend 12 to 16 weeks dieting and training for a competition. Others might train for a year before they are confident enough to step onstage.


Senior Airman Julius Lendorf, a competitive amateur bodybuilder, says newcomers should expect their first show to be trial and error, learning how their bodies respond to diet and training.

“Understand that you are going up against people who have years of competition experience. You should consider yourself a winner no matter what because it takes a lot of discipline to train and diet for a show,” said Lendorf, the overall and heavyweight division winner of the 2005 Mr. Wright-Patterson Bodybuilding Competition.

Lendorf recommends competing in local shows that test for steroids, growth hormones and other illegal performance-enhancing supplements. Such shows are organized by the International Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation, National Gym Association, Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders and North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation. Some National Physique Committee shows are also drug-tested.

“If you are a lifter who may not be drug-free, please don’t try to sneak by and do a tested show,” Lendorf said. “There are enough nontested shows that you can do.”

Attend a show so you can see how it is conducted, what types of physiques are expected and how competitors present themselves onstage. Seek out competitors or officials from that organization and ask them about their involvement. Failing that, Lendorf suggests searching the Internet.

Get your body fat tested before you begin training so you can gauge how hard you’ll have to train and diet. Aaron Callister, promoter of the Mr./Ms. Natural Minnesota Bodybuilding Figure & X-treme Fit Invitational, said natural male competitors who place in the top three typically have between 4 percent and 6 percent body fat and women usually have between 9 percent and 11 percent.

Training requires sacrifices. In the five months leading up to his competition, Lendorf rose an hour earlier than usual each morning for a cardio workout and stuck to eating only the foods on his diet. He also avoided travel, as he was afraid it would derail his workouts and meals.

“I think what contributed to me doing well at my first show was my knowledge of the sport. The information is out there, and it’s up to you to find as much of it as you can,” Lendorf said.

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