Bodybuilders from all over the country put on their best flex at Taieri College on Saturday.
The National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association Otago Championships drew more than 50 athletes and co-organiser Mike Tabb said for many of them, it was the culmination of several months of hard work.
The youngest competitor was 16, the oldest was 68, with bodybuilders coming from as far south as Invercargill and as north as Auckland.
"For some people it’s a bucket-list thing. There’s a whole range of classes at this event — so people can come and have a look at it and see whether it’s for you.
Mr Tabb, who competed in the 1990s, got back into the sport as a competitor about five years ago, but as the body took a toll — dodgy knees and other ailments — decided to "hang up the trunks" and coach others.
He had about six of his athletes competing in Saturday’s competition.
"At all levels, it’s a balance of muscle size, definition, structure and proportion.
"I really focus on the self-discipline aspect.
"You won’t get anything tougher than a bodybuilding competition — whether it’s restricting your food when you’re tired, and focusing on your cardio when you’re exhausted, for week after week, everything becomes easy after you’ve done this.
"You have to be a little bit crazy to do this — but I encourage the athletes to focus on how they’ve grown as people."
Lucas Russell, who competed in his first bodybuilding competition on Saturday, said he got started after he "lost a bet".
"The boys held me to it. I was training twice a day, six days a week, and sticking to a diet, so it was a good bet to lose.
He was unsure whether he would compete again.
"Maybe let me have a Big Mac first ... but the community has been awesome."
