applied physiology, says bodybuilders strive for bigger, toned muscles and decreased body fat. They differ from powerlifters, who build strength to lift as much weight as possible.
People decide to become bodybuilders for different reasons. Richmond, who teaches Introduction to Exercise Science and Clinical Fitness Evaluation Techniques at the University, thinks some are obsessed with becoming bigger while others train so they can use their large muscles to intimidate people. And for some, bodybuilding just makes them happy.
When Reaves goes to the beach and takes his shirt off, he wants to be the biggest guy there. He says he wants people to look at him and say, "Daaang. Look at those biceps!"
Appearance is a common reason people in their early teens to mid-30s decide to body build, says Emily Richardson, a personal trainer at
Quivira Sportsclubs in Lenexa. Richardson is certified by the Professional Fitness Institute in Olathe and will receive her National Strength and Conditioning Association certification in May. She thinks people in their mid-30s and 40s are concerned with health while older people lift weights to aid in disease prevention and delay the aging process.
Keith Klein, Lenexa resident, has lifted weights for 20 years. He focused on powerlifting for six years, but when he turned 40 last year he decided to switch to bodybuilding. He will compete in the Kansas City Gold's Classic bodybuilding competition in late September. He says he's had more fun training for the competition over the past year than he had training for all 20 powerlifting competitions he has entered. Klein says he bodybuilds to prove to
himself that he can build muscle and stay fit at his age. To him it's a matter of personal pride.
Achieving a welldefined body requires a substantial time commitment. Bodybuilders spend anywhere from one to six hours a day at the gym. Reaves is now training for next fall's KU football team and his average day goes something like this: Wake up at 5 a.m., receive treatment for a recent back injury, run, go to class, workout for an hour, go home, try to recuperate and do homework.
Football and bodybuilding workouts differ in several ways. Chris Bohannon, an NSCA certified trainer, says that football players train for power, speed and agility while bodybuilders aim for size and definition. Bohannon, who owns Transition Mulitport, an Overland Park-based training company, thinks bodybuilding is more image oriented, so a bodybuilder's physical power may not be as great as a football player's. He says bodybuilders exhibit defined and chiseled muscle groups that are different than the groups football players focus on to gain brute strength and size.
schedule goes like this: Monday, work shoulders; Tuesday, chest; Wednesday, take the day off; Thursday, focus on the back; Friday, legs; Saturday, arms; and Sunday, rest. He doesn't get much of a cardiovascular workout.
When Reaves isn't training for football he follows his bodybuilding routine. His weekly
The lack of a cardiovascular workout is common among bodybuilders. Richmond says even competitive bodybuilders tend to avoid it and only do cardio one to two days per week while training. They then really increase their cardio during the pre-competition phase to five to seven days a week.
To maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, Richmond recommends bodybuilders do a 20-to 30-minute aerobic workout three to five days per week. Lifting weights can almost be an aerobic workout when bodybuilders do a lot of repetitions with little rest in between sets. It isn't a substitute for an aerobic exercise like running, however. After lifting, a person needs to give the muscles used at least 48 hours of rest before working them again. This is why many bodv-
builders, like Reaves, plan a workout routine that focuses on different muscle groups each day of the week.
In addition to following a strict workout routine, committed bodybuilders follow a healthy diet. Emily Richardson recommends a diet high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. This diet decreases overall body fat, which helps give bodybuilders their chiseled physiques.
Richmond says the average male has a body fat level of about 15 percent. Bodybuilders tend to have a lower level, but the essential level required for males is. Females have an average body fat under 12 percent is con- body fat levels of doesn't solve
If Reaves has a downfall as a bodybuilder, it's his eating habits. "I'm an unhealthy eater. I'd be bigger if I ate right," Reaves says. Reaves' large muscle mass helps make up for his poor eating habits. Muscle is the body's most metabolically active tissue, which means the more muscle Reaves has, the more fat he'll burn.
Reaves isn't the only bodybuilder who finds it hard to follow a strict diet. Klein says he needs to start paying closer attention to what he eats before his competition in September. For now he tries to eat four meals per day and avoids greasy food.
To help make up for their habits, a lot of bodybuilders take nutritional supplements. One of the most common supplements for bodybuilders is protein. Proteins help make muscle cells. Richmond says the theory behind taking protein supplements is that increasing the amount of protein in a body gives it more material to build muscle with. Although bodybuilders frequently use protein supplements, Richmond says they could get enough protein in their diet. They would only need to consume two grams of protein per kilogram of their bodyweights per day to help build muscle and only 1 gram per kilogram to maintain their muscle mass. Richmond says bodybuilders take supplements because it's easier to drink a shake than eat a couple of chicken breasts.
Creatine is another popular supplement among bodybuilders. The human body contains creatine in its skeletal muscles, heart and brain. It increases the body's ability to make ATP, an energy molecule located in muscle cells. Richmond says it doesn't increase muscle mass, but it gives a bodybuilder extra energy at the end of a workout. This allows bodybuilders to do extra repetitions so that their muscles are worked harder. No one has tested creatine to see if there are any long-term side effects associated with taking the supplement. It is available naturally in meat and fish.
Reaves takes creatine before and after each workout. He says it gives him more energy and makes his muscles look bigger. Reaves hasn't suffered from any side effects, but he's heard of people who have had problems with cramping.
The question of whether or not to take nutritional supplements is controversial. Richmond says part of the problem is that the Federal
He says he wants people to look at him and say, "Daaang!! Look at those biceps!"