Jon Chafe is looking forward to the weekend. Not because he can sit back and take it easy.
Quite the opposite.
Chafe is set to hit the stage at Holy Heart of Mary for the 2011 NABBA Provincial Bodybuilding Championships.
Also preparing for the competition is another Clarenville native, Paddy Greene. He's in his third year of studies at Memorial University and this will be his first bodybuilding competition.
This will be Chafe's second competition in a row.
He placed third in last year’s event where he competed in the men’s middleweight division.
As a teenager Chafe was always very active. Summers were spent skateboarding and during the winter he switched his skateboard for a snowboard and hit the slopes.
However, when he began work in St. John’s he found himself sitting behind a desk for most of the day. As manager of Heavyweights Sports Nutrition store he wasn’t getting as much exercise or being active.
Eventually he started to put on a few pounds.
He started working out at the gym. He soon found that he was beginning to tone up. He also liked what was happening to his physique.
That’s when he made a conscious decision to take bodybuilding seriously. That was 18 months ago.
“I basically consciously made a decision to have a lifestyle change; get my fitness levels back and become a functional, athletic individual once again,” says Chafe. “Bodybuilding just came with it. Then when I started eating better I noticed even more physique changes. My physique was getting to the proper proportions.”
The 25-year old says it takes a lot of dedication to continue in the sport but he has no plans to give it up anytime soon.
“You put so much into getting your body looking good that you don’t want to lose that. So once the competition is over I get back into the training routine as quickly as possible.
“It just makes me feel better. Not just because of the look but for my cardiovascular system. I just feel so much better when I’m active.”
Greene’s decision to get serious about bodybuilding came about a little differently.
He is six feet two inches tall and weighed just 150 pounds when he first started working out.
“I was just tired of being skinny,” says Greene. “At first I just wanted to bulk up.”
For the past 18 months he's been following a strict workout routine to prepare for this weekend’s competition.
“Bodybuilding is very disciplined. You can’t do it and expect results unless you are 100 per cent dedicated to it,” he says. “It’s very intense because it takes up your whole day. The diet for the actual contest goes anywhere from 16 to 24 weeks. I did mine for 16 weeks.”
Training regimen
Both Chafe and Greene have similar training regimens when it comes to preparing for competition. They both rise early and do a cardio workout. Chafe heads to the gym while Greene goes for a brisk 45-minute walk.
After that it’s back home for breakfast. Greene’s first meal of the day consists of two cups of egg whites and a cup of oatmeal. Chafe’s early morning meal is similar.
Then it’s eating every two to three hours. Both have chicken and rice. Chafe mixes his diet up with ground beef and rice.
Chafe, the more experienced of the two, says it works out to seven meals a day with five of those meals pretty well filled with carbohydrates.
His late night meal consists of scrambled eggs, spinach and mushrooms.
Greene ends his day with another cup of egg whites and a protein shake.
Chafe is looking forward to this weekend’s competition.
“I’m feeling awesome going in. Last year was really nerve wracking because it was my first time. You’re getting assistance from the coach but you’re still not really sure what to do. You’re only following their guidance and hoping for the best.
“This time I know what’s going to happen and when and how to hit the right peak. I feel more confident and comfortable. It’s going to be much easier because I have the routine all planned in my head.”
The newcomer, Greene, says he’s also looking forward to taking the stage. He’s entered in the novice class for first-time competitors and he is also in the junior class opening which is up to and including age 21.
“Every night now for the past week or so I spend a half hour practicing my posing techniques. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”
kgosse@thepacket.ca
