Students who attend the Ball State Body-building Compet-ition Thursday night should be forewarned because they may end up participating in next year's event.
At least that's the way it happened for sophomore Ashley Neuenschwander. Neuenschwander attended the competition as a freshman. Her friends then told her that she should give it a try.
One year, and countless workouts later, she is indeed giving it a try.
Neuenschwander will compete against seven other female students for the title of Ms. Ball State. On the men's side, there will be 18 men divided into two classes: medium and tall. After a winner from each is chosen, there will be a "pose down" to name Mr. Ball State.
L.T. Faison, a physical education instructor at Ball State and former pageant winner, organized this year's competition. He said that the contest has been an annual event for the past 30 years.
"It's gotten a lot bigger than a recreational event," Faison said. "It's open to all Ball State students, but not everyone is up for showcasing their bodies."
Faison is up for showcasing his body, though. He won the contest in 2000 and is now a professional body builder with the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation. Faison, who will serve as a guest poser at the outset of the program, emphasized the word "natural."
"Some people were born or destined to be involved in certain things such as body building," Faison said when asked about the use of steroids in bodybuilding competitions. "I happen to be one of those people. I don't have to find myself looking to other things."
Another person who sees himself as a natural bodybuilder is Tom Runkle, a landscape architecture major who is competing in his third Ball State Bodybuilding Competition.
"I take pride in the fact that I am natural," Runkle said. "I've never considered (taking steroids). It has never seemed worth the risk to me."
Runkle and Neuen-schwander both say they don't know of anyone in the contest who uses illegal substances. Instead, the contestants' bulk comes from plenty of lifting and a very strict diet.
"I eat lots of protein," Neuenschwander said. "Lots of meat. Lots of veggies. Lots of water."
One thing they don't eat a lot of, Runkle says, is carbohydrates. He says he eats 400 grams of protein per day and only 50 to 80 grams of carbohydrates. It is recommended that carbohydrates make up 55 to 65 percent of caloric intake. Runkle says the dieting does make the bodybuilders irritable at times.
Neuenschwander said she wants people to look past bodybuilder stereotypes and just come see their fellow students perform.
"I don't care if I win," the speech pathology major said. "I'm just really happy I have the guts to do this. I'm just proud of myself."
Faison said the experience of a bodybuilding competition is a truly unique one and the bodybuilders work as hard as other athletes.
"It's something that you've never seen before, you have to look and see what all the hype is about," he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
