Bodybuilder Christopher Stevens wakes up to a "light" exercise session that can include anything from a thirty minute jog, 200 push ups or about 100 or so sit-ups or pull-ups, amid training for the Mr. and Mrs. Ball State Bodybuilding competition.
“A day off is just a lighter day in the gym,” said Stevens, a junior business administration major, who normally works out at least two hours per day.
Stevens is no stranger to exercise or competition. In high school, he played tennis and has a cheerleader, but this is his first bodybuilding competition.
Many of the 13 male and seven female competitors are also participating for the first time in the Mr. & Mrs. Ball State bodybuilding competition at 7 p.m. April 14.
The Mr. Ball State Bodybuilding competition began having shows in the late 1960s in Irving Gymnasium, said David Pearson, who has coordinated and promoted the competition for more than 30 years.
“Doing the contest is one of the best character building events at Ball State,” Pearson said. “Whether you win or lose you’re really a winner just by trying to compete.”
Pearson said women joined the competition in the early 1980s after he was contacted by a few cheerleaders and gymnast who wanted to also show their muscular strength.
One of the female competitors, Moriah Vance is in the Army National Guard, has a part-job as a computer lab assistant, is a full time student who takes 18 credit hours per semester, and exercises twice most days — once with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and another in her spare time.
“When I have kids, I want them to look up to me and do things that they don’t think is possible,” Vance said.
“For me, it was never about competing. The whole point of this was to change my lifestyle of eating.”
Vance entered the show because she saw a flyer on Instagram from co-promoter, Grant Elliott, who is a junior pre-chiropractic and exercise major, and reigning Mr. Ball State.
“Bodybuilding is extremely underrated, and it really needs to be encouraged and supported about how hard individuals are willing to work,” Elliott said.
Most of the 20 competitors have prepared for at least four months to show their ripped, spray-tanned muscles under the bright lights of John R. Emens Auditorium for less than five minutes.
Preparation is more than just exhausting your body in the gym. It’s also about eating the right amount of foods and carefully counting every morsel you eat, Stevens said.
“I wake up to about six egg whites, a half cup of oatmeal, then I’ll make a smoothie with banana and powdered peanut butter that has no fat in it,” Stevens said.
It is not just a matter of eating more fruits and vegetables but counting macronutrients.
Macronutrients, which are commonly referred to as macros, are the nutrients that are required in large amounts. The three most common macros are carbs, proteins and fat.
Competitor Cory Nelson counts his macro intake every day.
Nelson is allowed 250 grams of carbs, 200 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat.
These tentative numbers tell Nelson how much food he can have, what types of food that he can have, and what foods he needs to avoid, but this can change throughout the competition as his body begins to adapt to changes.
The greatest challenge that Nelson has is when he had to start counting his macros.
“I’m a lot more health conscious when it comes to my foods. I can look at something and say ‘I’m not going to eat that because it has too much fat,’” said Nelson. “Now when I look at food, I can’t look at like it and say, ‘Oh that’s gonna be a great meal,’ but I’m looking at the numbers.”
Dietetics major and fellow competitor Carly Gemmecke has chosen a low glycemic diet. On this diet, Gemmecke avoids eating strawberries, grapes and most other fruits because they have too much sugar.
Despite this, she believes that it is OK to indulge every now and then.
“I don’t believe in completely cutting out something,” Gemmecke said. “If I have a craving for chocolate, I’ll go get some Dove.”
Gemmecke, who is training her body for four other competitions, may eat a few miniature Dove dark chocolate candies to satisfy intense cravings, but limits herself to just that.
Many players want to appease their appetite for food, but the motivation to keep going is stronger.
“At times, it’s just about therapy; not getting big, not seeing how much weight I can lift, it’s just something to take my mind off of the world and get away,” said Tyler Wilson, a second year competitor. “Once I’m in the gym, I’m the only one there. I don’t see the other people and their results. I see the hard work that I’m putting in.”
After months of rigorous exercise and strict diet routines, the bodybuilders will perform their posing routine for 60 seconds to a song of their choice.
The competition consists of posing, where each competitor stands on stage and the judges meticulously observe everything from their chests, backs, thighs and calf muscles.
The bodybuilders will be separated into three categories for their poses.
The first category will be for the seven women.
The next two categories will divide the young men by their height between medium and tall classes. “Medium” is considered 5’9” and under, whereas “tall” is larger than 5-foot-10.
Kelly Moorhous has practiced her poses for months, but the most important thing for her in this competition is having confidence in her body.
“I’m freaking out,” Moorhous said. “But in my mind I’m like, ‘You’re not giving up.’”
The Mr. & Mrs. Ball State bodybuilding competition has been a challenge for many competitors, but each person has a different reason to wake up every morning and push their bodies to their limits.
However, one thing seems to be unanimous among all of the competitors.
“As soon as the competition is over you better believe I’m going to get a box of donuts; I’m going to order a whole pizza; and I’ll probably eat some cake,” Nelson said. “I already have in my mind what I’m going to eat, but I can’t think about it right now because it is going to make me weak.”
