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Muscle Classic contest draws more than 800 fans

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Justin Veazie
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  More than 800 active-duty service members, civilians and dependents came out to the Keystone Theater to watch and support 45 competitors in the 2012 Sixth Annual Pacific Muscle Classic competition June 3.

The Pacific Muscle Classic consisted of 11 different categories in the men's and women's divisions. The women categories were Women's Figure for the height of 5'4 and under and 5'4 and over, Fitness, Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight. The categories for the men were Men's Masters, Bantamweight, Lightweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Women's Figure 5'4 and under
Christine Amon
Women's Figure over 5'4
Ashaunettae Young
Women's Fitness
Shelly Howard
Women's lightweight
Amber Dunford
Women's Middleweight
Ashaunettae Young
Women's Overall Winner
Amber Dunford

Men's Masters
Hidekazu Taba
Men's Bantamweight
Hidekazu Taba
Men's Lightweight
Stephen Hohner
Men's Middleweight
Tomoya Nakadomari
Men's Light Heavyweight
Siah-ra Ausar
Men's Heavyweight
Kenneth Walker
Men's Overall Winner
Tomoya Nakadomari


Bodybuilding competitions are not without hard work and dedication, and professional bodybuilders gives a whole new meaning to the word "fitness."

According to event organizers, time spent in the gym is typically equal to the time bodybuilders dedicate to their diet.

"Most people just ask me how much do I work out," said Zoa Linsey, International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness professional bodybuilder and a personal trainer at Risner Fitness Center, "but what they don't know is bodybuilding is a diet sport."

Knowing what foods to eat is an essential entity in any body builder's lifestyle.

Some body builders may mention different extreme diets and workouts such as measuring how much protein, salts and fats are in their meals. They may also discuss a tendency to overdue workouts such as running 8 miles on top of lifting weights for three hours. However, other professionals choose to just stick with the basics.

"There's no need for any extreme or fancy workouts," said Philip "Rico" Ricardo Jr., U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. (retired), 12-time professional natural body building champion and the 2010 Yorton Cup Men's Pro Bodybuilding Champion. "Just stick to the basics."