Bodybuilders in Saturday show offer tips on muscling up

All summer, while many of us were throwing down potato salad and saying "sure" to another scoop of ice cream, a smaller segment of folks were exercising portion control and hitting the gym three times a week. But that's just the people who wanted to stay in shape. An even smaller set of people took this idea to the extreme, devoting their lives to the pursuit of a perfect physique. They do more curls and squats in a week than many do in a lifetime; their every waking moment is consumed with thoughts about reps, protein intake and appearance. No cake at the wedding, no French fries at the carnival, no popcorn at the movies. Ever.

Some of these intensely devoted body professionals will gather Saturday at the Harrison Opera House for a contest to show off all they've accomplished in the last four months - the period that most have them have been dieting and sculpting every muscle in their bodies for this day.

Roughly 50 people will perform; the somewhat unlikely setting was chosen because it's just big enough to suit all the competitors and their gawkers while giving the event room to grow for next year.

"It's amazing what the human physique can be when you train consistently and watch what you eat," says Lenda Murray, promoter of the event and herself an eight-time winner of the Ms. Olympia contest. She lived in Virginia Beach from 1999 to 2004, when she moved to Los Angeles. There, she runs a boot-camp-style fitness program and trains entertainers, including some members of the pop group Black Eyed Peas. "People who go to this show always leave motivated. They work out more and change their diets."

The contest, in its fifth year, includes competitors mainly from Virginia and Maryland.

Women and men each compete in various categories. For women, there are bikini - which is "women you see on the beach with the nice body," Murray said - and figure, where "the women are a bit more muscular but not as muscular as women bodybuilders, but they're very well toned and you see definition, versus bikini where they have a little line down the tummy and they come out in the heels and those spectacular posing suits."

For men, categories include a general class, a master's class for men over 40 and a grandmaster's category for people over 50.

"I think people get the biggest kick out of watching the grandmasters," Murray said.

It's a qualifying amateur competition - the equivalent of an NCAA title versus an NBA championship - and although there's no cash prize, winning means a sparkling trophy, prestige and knowing you're ready to move on to the big leagues and compete in the esteemed Mr. Olympia show. Celebrity guest Ronnie Coleman, an eight-time Mr. Olympia, will appear and do a routine.

To the untrained eye, all the people onstage will simply look like superfit machines - each one's particular winning attribute hard to distinguish from the next. The judges, though, will scrutinize every inch of the contestants' bodies and their presentations - called "posing routines" - set to music.

"They're looking for symmetry," Murray said. For example, "you know you see that person who trains all their upper body but has no legs. This is about proportion and symmetry; if you have something throwing that off, you'll be marked down. They're paying attention to the entire physique."

Naturally, the competitors know this, which is why they've spent the last four months, give a take a few weeks, manipulating their bodies into superhero strength.

And what does that take, exactly? Two competitors in this weekend's competition share their secrets.

DEVOTION

Kelvin Carter, a 44-year-old Norfolk city police officer who entered his first contest in 1996, works out four to five days a week. He trains himself.

"I learned through subscribing to Flex," he said, referring to the fitness magazine. He works from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and is in the gym by 8:15 a.m., where he'll stay until about 10:30 a.m. It's like an extra job. "I make time for family and friends on the weekends," said the married father of two.

Kasha Winston, 57, incorporates her family time into her gym schedule. "It's about balance," the Virginia Beach resident said, which is why her son Win, 13, helps with her routines and her spray-on tans. He goes to her gym, East Coast Fitness, with her on Friday nights. She'll get there around

7:30 p.m. "If we get out around midnight, that's good," she said.

SUPER-STRICT DIETING

"I'm very blessed that I've never been a junk-food junkie," Winston said. "My guilt thing is sushi." She rotates her carbs, meaning that she has two low-carb days and a medium-carb day, but "most of my diet is egg whites, chicken, fish, fruits and veggies, lots of protein shakes and salads. I don't vary a lot."

Carter does - even splurging very, very rarely on the verboten burger and fries from Wendy's, but only when he's got a long time to prepare for a competition. "The first three weeks (when he starts ramping up for a show) are the hardest," he said, and that's also the time he'll splurge on a cheat meal once a week. (That also might include a sliver of his favorite, German chocolate cake.) After that, it's pretty much grilled chicken, vegetables, fish and a steak every two weeks. "I have carbs before two o'clock, but none after four p.m." He's an occasional, social drinker, but during training time alcohol is off limits.

REPS, REPS AND MORE REPS

Carter, who's been fit since the days of running track in high school, said his arms have always been big and impressive.

The middleweight keeps his biceps and triceps in shape with a routine he calls "running the rack." He takes three different sets of weights - 30, 35 and 40 - doing three sets of four reps of each. "After the second set," he said, "it starts to burn." He's proud of his abs too - often using three sets of 25 regular crunches and crunching on his knees with weighted cables - to sculpt them. But he keeps his body "confused" too, by switching up weights with walking and elliptical training. "Your body will plateau, so you have to switch it up every week, every other week."

IGNORING CRITICS

Unrelenting discipline to a lifestyle is tough enough, but as a woman, Winston faces an additional challenge, Outside of the gym, some people don't approve of the way she looks. And they let her know.

"I get lots of people who are very admirable," she said. "They ask, 'How do you get those arms?' (Curls.) "But I do have other women my age that are not happy with me. I've had women come up to me and say, 'I don't think it's appropriate' and 'You shouldn't look like that.' I'll just smile."

She said it's too bad that many women are intimidated by weights.

"My doctor said, 'My God what are you doing?' My numbers are incredible. I look good, I feel good, I have lots of energy, my confidence level is out of this world. This is wonderful."