Fitzroy Bramble knows professional bodybuilding is a full-time job. "Bodybuilding
is a 24-hour event. It's not my life, but my days revolve around bodybuilding,"
he says.
Bramble got a late start -- he didn't begin training until he was 30. "I
was tired of being skinny. After training for four years, I gained a lot of
quality muscle. Then a gym owner told me I'd make a good bodybuilder. I've
been doing just great since then!"
Training is rigorous. To be successful, he suggests training four to five
days a week with weights for 60 to 90 minutes. "Also do some aerobic activity
for at least 30 minutes, three to four times per week." He adds that the most
important step is a proper nutritional program.
"My nutritional breakdown is about 3,500 calories daily: 40 percent protein,
50 percent carbohydrates and 10 percent fats." When he prepares for a contest,
Bramble ups his protein intake and decreases the carbohydrate intake.
All the hard work does reap dividends. Bramble won his division at the
North American Bodybuilding Association National Bodybuilding Championships
in 1996. "That qualified me to become a professional bodybuilder without ever
having to use any type of bodybuilding drugs.
"Bodybuilding generally leads to more positive things in other areas of
your life. Most people tend to handle stress better, they tend to eat better,
and they generally have a better outlook on life."
How important is eating properly? Bodybuilder Patty Marciano says: "My
whole day revolves around what I eat, when I eat, [and] what
I can or can't do on that day because of what part of my body I have to train
next."
Marciano admits the training requires a high level of discipline. "It's
very hard training. You always leave the gym sore, have to maintain a proper
diet, use lots of supplementation, have lots of money [to support your efforts]
and have lots of patience."
Marciano cautions those considering bodybuilding to view it as more of
a hobby than a career. "There are only a few bodybuilders with money because
it's an expensive sport with little pay. My last show cost me a total of $18,000!"
she says.
"I've been training for six years. When I was a young girl, I used to think
the girls in the comics were how I was going to look when I grew up. I started
when my son was three months old. I got results really fast and did a contest,
winning the overalls after training for only eight months. After that, I got
hooked and decided to get serious about it.
"Make it fun, and don't take it too seriously. You need a good sense of
humor because you'll have a lot of curveballs thrown at you. Be warned --
society doesn't accept women with muscle. Train harder than any guy can, and
always look your best."
Finally, Bramble offers these words of caution. "Not too many bodybuilders
make money from this, so I'd encourage them to get a good education first.
Don't be a dropout. First do it as a hobby, and as you go along you will find
out if you have what it takes to be a good bodybuilder."