Fast food, liquor stores and campus parties have missed them, but not as much as they've missed living the average life of a college student. On April 17, their final day had come, but what will become of the bodybuilding competitors after the crowning of Mr. and Ms. Ball State?
For the past two months, the body builders, the "meatheads," the butch athletic women of Ball State University who make most men cringe, cared only about their appearance and the competition. They secluded themselves to homework, exercise, powerbars and protein shakes.
They lived with one thought: succeed.
After the competition, those men and women rushed out of Emens Auditorium to their after parties or to their favorite fast food restaurant. Senior contestant Jordan Schrameyer's plan was to visit the local IHOP, to indulge in delicious fattening treats for the first time in months, without the feeling of guilt.
Todd Blue, author of bodybuilding.com, said it is not uncommon to see a bodybuilder put on 20 or more pounds the day after a contest. The truth is, most bodybuilding viewers don't have the slightest idea of what these athletes look like 95 percent of the year.
So how does one prepare for a body building competition, and how many weeks before the competition should they start preparing?
Schrameyer had been on a strict diet for 12 weeks to prepare for the Mr. and Ms. Ball State Body Building Competition.
Ten days before the competition, Schrameyer started to consume as much sodium as he could and started to drink two to three gallons of water each day.
Thursday, Schrameyer ate only foods high in fat and protein such as eggs, nuts and fish.
As I spoke with him, I couldn't help but stare at his Incredible Hulk-like figure. His veins looked as though they were about to pop and the excessive amount of tan in a bottle he had purchased from a body building Web site made him appear to be an action figure, or maybe a Ken Doll on steroids.
However, steroids would have disqualified him from the competition. What these competing students have done is completely natural, only the amount of time they've done it in makes them appear to be life-size action figures.
I couldn't help but wonder: is this healthy?
Kimberli Pike, registered dietitian for the Philadelphia Flyers and Ball State Dietetics Program Director, said extreme dieting has long-term as well as short-term effects. "Some athletes walk away with issues such as obsessive-compulsive behavior related to food and others may have physiological changes if they continue to diet for long-term," Pike said.
"Extreme dieting for short periods of time might not have any negative effect nutritionally," Pike said, "but long-term dieting holds definite nutrition-related problems."
Long-term effects for women bodybuilders include the loss of menstrual cycles. According to Pike, this can cause fertility problems when they decide they want to have children. Osteoporosis is a result of a long-term effect as well.
I congratulate them for having such determination to meet a goal they've worked long and hard for. However, I do not understand why people feel the need to put their body through such drastic measures in order to be perceived as ultimately fit.
I also do not support the entire Ball State student population who pretend to be in their own Mr. and Ms. Ball State competition every warm day of the year. Guys, no one wants to see your pierced nipples via your cut-off t-shirt that is more skin than shirt. Girls, shopping in the Abercrombie kids department doesn't make you sexy; it only warrants the sexual harassment you complain about.
The fact of the matter is: dressing like you just got out of bed somehow doesn't work when you manage full makeup and gelled hair. Get over yourselves; this is college, not high school.
To Schrameyer's surprise, his intense workout schedule did not get him further than first runner-up. Winner Brian Watters, who appeared to be smaller than Schrameyer, won Mr. Ball State for the second year in a row. According to the Daily News article "Myriad of Muscles," Watters told reporters he started to "cover his body during the end of the competition." His diet was radically different from Schrameyer's, consisting only of lean cuts of meat and brown rice. No extra fats or sodium.
Macho body builders, in the normal population, what you do to prepare for your competition is called an eating disorder. Try golf, swimming or badminton. All are equally satisfying and less harmful to your body.
Student population, buy some real clothes. This is Indiana, not Malibu beach.
Rachel Caselton is a senior public relations major and writes 'Shout from the Castle' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Rachel at rccaselton@bsu.edu
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