62 year old says "HA!" to those youngsters

[CardiMuscles]

2005 FAME Southern Open S.N.B.F. Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, Suwanee, Georgia, July 16, 2005

Results for Scott "Old Navy" Hults

Open Men's Short Class (5' 7") - Five competitors - I Placed Third. I was the oldest. The other four were in their 20s and 30s. The winner of the Open Men's Short Class also won the Overall and is now a FAME WNSO Pro.

Super Grand Master 60+ - Three competitors - I Placed First.

My 2005 record in this Class is two First Place wins in Alabama, two First Place wins in Georgia and one Third Place win at the FAME World Championships.

"The Judges also awarded me the trophy for "Best Male Poser" of the entire competition"

[Krzna]

pix?

[Tyrbolift]

That's great! Do you compete in United Kingdom? Where do you live? Why always travel to the southeastern U.S. to compete?

[geriatricmuscle]

Congratulations! That's great. You should be proud of yourself! Show us some pics..

gm

[hogship]

Yeah, pics.

I'm not too far behind you in age, and would really like to see what the possibilities are.

Us young 'uns just might get a few pointers from ye!

congratulations

hog

[Be-Be]

Wonderful. Congrats.

[jaguarr]

Ummm...I don't think the person who posted the story about the 62 year old is actually that person.

Still, a great story and I love to see one's like this.

jag

[Old Navy]

Hi, I am the 62 year old bodybuilder who didn't post the first message in this thread. I did train for and compete in six bodybuilding contests this year, placing in five. I was awarded four First Place trophies, one Second Place, five Thrid Place and one Best Male Poser award. If you would care to read the whole story, please read the following five posts:

"Training For My First Competition At 61, A 'Senior' Bodybuilder's Championship Season"

Also: I was selected as Bodybuilding.com's Amateur Bodybuilder of the Week: You can find my Profile at: www.bodybuilders.com/hults.htm

Warm Regards,

Scott "Old Navy" Hults

[fitnessman]

OldNavy..Great pic!

I had to edit out the link. It links to another site that sells supplements. Against the owners rules here.

[Old Navy]

Training For My First Competition at 61: A 'Senior' Bodybuilder's Championship Season

Part I

A 61 Year-Old Bodybuilder’s Championship Season
By Scott "Old Navy" Hults

On January 1, 2004, I was a 60 year-old, 158 pounds, out-of-shape retired U.S. Navy Reserve Captain. After my retirement from the Navy, I no longer was required to stay fit and pass a service-wide semi-annual Physical Readiness Test, so I slacked off. Although I went to the SportPlex gym in Birmingham, Alabama regularly, I generally spent more time gabbing with my fellow gym rats than I did working out.

Six months later, I was a little more disciplined and worked out with a partner regularly 45 minutes a day, five days a week. I started to lose a few pounds and looked better. And, of course, I felt better. One day my wife of 25 years made an off-handed remark saying, "Scott, you seem to enjoy the gym and working out, so why don't you compete?" I said, "Do what?" She said, "Compete. See if you can do it."

I said, "OK, I will." And on June 1st, I began a 10 month journey to get ready to stand up on a stage in nothing more than a tiny posing suit, as a 61 year-old Bantam Weight, Grand Master bodybuilder.

Here is my story:

The first thing I did was to begin working with a personal trainer who shared my goals and agreed to help me achieve them. His name is Will Lantrip, a former champion bodybuilder and personal trainer, who not only trains "natural" bodybuilders, but also encourages and works with athletes, who are on illegal muscle enhancing drugs and still want to compete, to agree to train with Will "natural." Will's Christian-based company is called, "Will Power."

Will was a good choice for me. I have known him for a long time and have watched him work with men and women, young and old. Each of his clients is special and he trains each one "individually."

When I started training with Will, I weighed 155 pounds. The first thing he changed was my diet. Gone were the cheeseburgers, ice cream, french fries, chocolates and potato chips. Within two months, I lost seven pounds. By Labor Day, I was down to 139. I looked OK, but was not very cut. My waist had gone from 33" to 30" and I did add muscle in a few areas, especially the upper body.

On November 1st, Will Lantrip told me I needed to add lean mass to my body weight. I weighed 140 pounds he wanted me to put on at least 10 pounds. By Christmas Eve, I weighed 151 pounds. Will was generally satisfied with my weight but said he would still like to see me put on a few more pounds.

Meanwhile, Will upped the intensity of my workouts. He is good at making sure I can handle the extra work without injuring my 61 year-old joints and muscles. He does know how to make it hurt, though. And he does know how to help me grow. I have gotten bigger in the chest, biceps, shoulders and especially the legs and calves, which we work twice a week.

On New Years Day, 2005, I began 12 weeks of contest diet. My goal was to get below 143 1/2 lbs., the Bantam Weight limit for the NPC American Classic contest in Auburn, Alabama scheduled for March 19th. I planned to compete as a Novice, Bantam Weight and Grand Master (50+). I also planned to compete two weeks later in my first "natural" contest at the Georgia S.N.B.F. show as a Novice LW, Open Men Short (5' 7") and Super Grand Master (60+). Two shows in two weeks. We had my work cut out for us.

For the first few weeks, I stayed on the Beverly International Nutrition lean mass diet plan of five meals a day with supplements, including Creatine Select, Glutamine Select, Antioxidants, EFA Gold, Muscle Synergy, Super Vitamin Pak, Ultra 40, Mass Amino and Ultra Size protein powder. I continued training with Will five days a week and added a sixth session with him on Saturday morning for posing and photos. I also practice posing for 30 minutes at least two nights a week. I end my practice sessions by doing my 90 second posing routine with the music CD.

I purchased five posing suits off the web from "Cherry Bombs" in Minneapolis (www.cherrybombs.net). They are great. I can't wait to compete wearing one of Cheri's suits. I called her to tell her how much I liked her suits and she also advised me about tanning, posing oil and other contest prep. Cheri was a big help.

Ten weeks out I had a posing session with Will Lantrip followed by photos, to record my progress. I had lost three pounds since January 1st. I'm now at 148. Will said I should be thrilled with the results I have seen. He also said I am going to do extremely well in my first contest and that no changes are necessary, which is a good thing. He said we may make changes in diet and supplements in another two weeks.

I felt really great about Will’s comments. I'm getting to the stage when I really need to count on Will to help me through the last hectic weeks of preparation. Mentally though, I'm ready!

A big surprise at SportPlex this morning (Tuesday, January 18th). A news camera team from the local NBC-TV station in Birmingham was there to do a live segment on early-morning workout enthusiasts. The reporter was told about a 60-something body builder training for his first contest, and soon I was standing before a live camera being interviewed by a knockout reporter. She asked about my motivation, my training and then asked me to flex a bicep for the world to see. The world saw. I can't believe how many calls I received throughout the day saying they saw me on the number one TV news station. I guess I have now had my 45 seconds of fame. Anyway, it was fun.

Well, so much for fame. I received an email today (January 20th) from the promoters of the NPC contest scheduled for March 19th in Auburn, Alabama. It said the NPC has moved the date of the show to April 30th. That means, if I did nothing, my first bodybuilding competition would be the S.N.B.F. show in Marietta, GA on April 2nd. I had hoped to compete in a show before the S.N.B.F. season started so I could "learn the ropes" in my first contest before competing in S.N.B.F. shows.

I am training as a "natural" athlete and I want to be competitive with other like-minded natural bodybuilders. S.N.B.F. shows require you to take a polygraph test at the on-site registration to determine if you have used banned substances within the last five years. And the Overall winners are also given a urinalysis screening after the competition. The S.N.B.F. is only interested in natural athletes and former "users" who have been drug-free for five years. It is an affiliate of the World Natural Sports Organization (WNSO) based in Canada.

[Old Navy]

A 'Senior Bodybuilder's Championship Season

Part II

So, undaunted, I sent in my registration form today to compete in the 2005 NPC Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in Covington, KY, just outside of Cincinnati. The show is on March 19th, so I'm back in the game. I will compete as a Bantam Weight (-143 1/2 lbs.) and a Grand Master (50+). At 61, the Grand Master category will be tough, but I'm tough! One bonus is the show's sponsor. It's Beverly International Nutrition, which is located in nearby Cold Springs, KY.

The NPC Northern Kentucky is a large show, with up to 200 contestants. It can be intimidating, but it can also be a really great learning opportunity. The show has a reputation of being well organized and well run. So maybe the change in date of the NPC Auburn show is a blessing in disguise. Anyway, that's how I'm looking at it.

Well it's Monday, January 24th, eight weeks to go. On Saturday I had my posing and photo session with Will Lantrip, who is helping me fine-tune my posing. He said it's the little things that can make a difference. For instance, pushing down on my spiked leg in a front and rear bicep pose or front and rear lat spread pose. By flexing and pushing down, the calves, hams and quads look more cut. Good advice.

I have decided to add a little more about my diet. I began my Competition Diet last evening (January 27th). There is a big difference between a Lean Mass Building Diet, which adds and maintains lean muscle and a Competition Diet, which adds muscle and burns fat. For instance, in the Lean Mass, breakfast is 4 egg whites, two whole eggs, 4 oz 93% lean beef, and a 1/2 cup of oatmeal. The Competition diet breakfast is 3 egg whites, one whole egg, 4 oz 93% lean beef and 1/2 a grapefruit. For lunch, the Lean Mass diet is 8 oz of chicken, 4 oz of sweet potato or 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of vegetables or salad with 1 oz low cal dressing. The Competition lunch is 8 oz chicken and 3 cups of salad with 2 tablespoons of oil and vinegar. For dinner, the Lean Mass diet is 8 oz of lean beef, chicken, turkey or fish and 2 cups of vegetables, while the Competition diet is 8 oz of lean beef, chicken or turkey breast, or fish and 1 cup of green-leafy vegetables. And, with the Competition diet, the 6th meal on Monday and Thursday includes 1 cup of oatmeal or cooked rice, 6 oz of sweet potato, 4 oz of banana and a cup of broccoli. In both the Lean Mass Diet and Competition Diet, there are two protein shakes each day.

It will be interesting to see how effective the Competition Diet is going into the final weeks before my contest.

Monday, January 31st. After choir practice last evening (I sing bass in my church choir and in the Birmingham Concert Chorale), I returned home to eat my sixth meal of the day. This meal, on Monday and Thursday only, is interesting in its contents: I mixed the rice, sweet potato and broccoli in a container and heated it in the microwave. I had the banana for desert. Man, I never thought I could enjoy a meal more. I'm starting to feel the hunger throughout the day, because of the drop in carbs and fats in this "cut the fat/get the cuts diet." I have already dropped about three pounds. And, on Monday, Will Lantrip changed my daily workout routine. We had been doing heavy weights, with lower reps (8 - 10 per set). Now, and for the rest of the pre-contest training, it will be lighter weights with more reps (12-15 per set). Will said this is done for two reasons: 1) When you don't have as much lean-mass body weight and go lighter in weights as you cut for a contest, you have a better chance of avoiding injuries that you might suffer if you continued with heavy weights. and 2) It's a good time to change your routine in order to "trick" your body into doing something different, thereby encouraging new muscle growth. At seven weeks out, I'm starting to see some interesting cuts, especially in my quads.

February 7th, six weeks to go. Will added a new element to my practice posing session on Saturday. He video taped the entire session and afterwards, critiqued my posing. One thing for sure, it's different when you pose in front of a mirror then it is in front of a video camera, pretending the camera is the judge. I noticed I need to squat down a little more in all of my poses so my quads, hams and calves show better cuts. Other than that, Will thinks I look pretty good. Most first-time competitors fall down on their posing. I hope to be ready. We will video tape the rest of my practice sessions until the competition.

I'm looking forward to the stretch run.

It's Monday, February 21st, four weeks until the 2005 Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding Championships. The last two weeks have been a little tough. I felt very weak after each workout. I am constantly tired. It's the diet. The lack of carbs during this fat-burning/cutting phase is taking its toll. And, on top of it, my whole family caught the flu last week and we were all down for the count. Fortunately, maybe because of my exercise program, supplements and diet, I didn't get hit as badly as the others. I only missed one day of work and one day at the gym. When I did return, Will Lantrip insisted we do only light workouts for the rest of the week and said, "No cardio." I didn't mind that dose of medicine.

On Saturday, I had a great posing session with Will, who video-taped and critiqued the entire hour. We are working on the fine-points of posing. The most important thing I must remember is to hold my poses, "hard." If anything relaxes, you lose the pose.

I'm going to hold on for the ride.

It's Monday, March 7th. I stepped on the scale for the first time in two weeks and was surprised to see my weight is now 140.5 lbs. My body fat is 6.5%. During the past two weeks, Will Lantrip increased my daily cardio, while we maintained an aggressive workout. He is not letting up and neither am I. This week, we will continue doing more reps with less weight. I'm usually going to failure on most sets. I'm also more tired than usual after my workouts. Will will have me do legs on Monday or Tuesday, and then not again. Hurray! Most of the rest of the final week will be very light. On Friday, before I leave Birmingham, AL for Covington, KY, I will go to SportPlex at the usual time, but to practice posing and have a few "day before" photos taken.

As for a change in diet this week, Will has me substituting 99% lean turkey instead of 93% lean ground beef with my egg whites for breakfast. He also cut out the one yoke and has me on egg whites only. He has me replacing my lean meat in meals 3 and 5 with cod or halibut. I feel like "The Old Man and the Sea." He is keeping me on my Monday and Thursday "carb" meals and has increased the Lean Out fat burner by one per meal and cut out the Mass Aminos completely to help in weight loss.

For the past two months, I have been going to the tanning bed three times a week. I am quite dark. During the final week of preparation, I will tan every day. On Monday, I'll do a standup for six minutes. On Tuesday, a laydown for 12 minutes. On Wednesday, I will be sprayed and then do a standup for six minutes (to help dry the spray). And, on Thursday, a standup, followed by a final spray and standup on Friday morning. Then, it's off to the airport. I will be very, very dark. But, if I have planned this right, I won't need to apply anything more than a very light coating of posing oil just before the pre-judging on Saturday morning.

I'm trying to stay in touch with reality, while I'm in the final preparation stage for this adventure. My wife, who suggested I try this in the first place, is very supportive and knows when I become a little "moody" it's because of the diet. She is terrific. My fellow gym rats are happy for me, but they also enjoy taking a few friendly shots at the "old man" during my workouts. We laugh a lot. My two daughters (20 & 18) know I'm doing this for the right reasons and they are rooting for me.

I am very happy and satisfied with what I have accomplished during these last ten months. I am anxious to see the end result on Saturday morning, March 19th.

To that end, I have been going over my contest diet for the final week. The most significant change is the amount of water I need to drink. From Sunday, March 13th to Wednesday, March 16th, it's three gallons a day. On Thursday, 1 3/4 gallons, on Friday, one gallon, and on Saturday, just sips as needed. The diet and supplements for Sunday - Wednesday remain the same, except on Wednesday, there is a large "carb" meal added as the final meal of the day. On Thursday, the diet and supplements are the same, but again includes a small "carb" meal. During the week I will add a daily intake of Potassium and additional Creatine to my supplements. On Friday, it's an all-beef and grapefruit diet. On Saturday, contest day, it begins with steak and three eggs and ends with a large Snickers bar about 30 minutes before pre-judging.

My training for the last week includes posing, about 30 minutes a day, light workouts for pump, and moderate cardio through Tuesday. I will train for the last time on Wednesday, but will continue posing through Friday morning. I leave for Kentucky at 11 A.M.

[Old Navy]

A 'Senior' Bodybuilder's Championship Season

Part III

The Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
Covington Kentucky Convention Center, Saturday, March 19, 2005

First the news. I competed in the Bantam Weight (-143 ½ lbs) class and finished Sixth and the Masters (50 Years +) class and finished 10th.

Now I will describe one of the most awesome, fulfilling and challenging experiences I have ever had: At 137 pounds, I was the lightest male and at 61 years, 11 months, I was the oldest athlete in the entire competition.

But, let’s first go back to Friday morning in Birmingham.

I got up at my usual 4:45 AM and met Will Lantrip at the gym at 6:30 to practice posing one last time and to take a roll of day-before photos. I weighed 138 pounds with -5% body fat. I sported some nice cuts. After leaving Will, I went directly to the Birmingham airport for the flight to Cincinnati. The flight arrived on time and I picked up my rental car and headed for the hotel in Covington, KY. At check-in, I had to sign a form saying I would be held responsible if any of the bed sheets or towels in my room were stained by tanning products. After unpacking and finishing another meal of beef and grapefruit (my fifth of the day), I went to the lobby to register and weigh-in for the competition.

I met one of my fellow Masters Class competitors in the lobby. Homer is 50 years-old today. He is a ripped 200 pounds heavyweight with 4 ½ % body fat. Homer is a national competitor, this being his fourth competition, and his first as a 50 year-old. I thought to myself, “Too bad his birthday isn’t on Sunday.” We spoke for a few minutes and wished each other success. Homer was later to finish third in Masters 50+ At 7 PM, the athletes gathered in the lobby where we registered and were directed to a conference room to weigh-in and, in the case of Teens and Masters, show our ID. I made Bantam Weight at 137 lbs.

I stuck around to watch some of the other competitors weigh-in. We were required to wear our posing suits and I saw some incredibly cut men and women who will compete in this contest. The room had a cordial atmosphere with a lot of friendly greetings and high-fives and some gentle ribbing and good-natured jibes as the competitors stepped on the scale. Some of the competitors missed their weight and opted to either lose or gain the needed pounds overnight and check-in on Saturday morning.

The Northern Kentucky is a popular show and many competitors have competed here two or three times.

I met Roger Riedinger, the founder of Beverly International Nutrition, who was there to greet the athletes. He knew who I was through Mark Ritter and welcomed me to Covington. He said the Northern Kentucky is one of the largest state shows in the country and he expected this year to break the record, with athletes coming from New York, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and, of course, Birmingham, Alabama. We sat and talked about the competition. At one point, I asked him casually if my tan was dark enough. He said he didn’t think it was and then asked one of his assistants to take me outside, in my posing suit, and apply another coat of spray. Now that’s what I call taking care of the competitors.

I went to my room to eat my last microwave-heated meal and then hit the sack. I spent a restless night. I think it was the excitement of what was to happen the next day. I woke up at 5 AM and was greeted with a remarkable sight. Me! I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn’t believe how cut and ripped I was. At this moment, this is the most muscular and cut I have ever been in all my 61 years. All of the sweat, effort and pain I have gone through these past 10 months were measured at this moment. Was it worth is? Oh yes!

After I stopped flexing and staring at myself in the mirror, I began final preparations. I went to the hotel’s restaurant where I ordered a 6 oz steak and three eggs. It tasted great. Then, back to the room for a final body shave with an electric razor to prevent cuts or nicks. I applied a moisturizer and then dressed in my black posing suit and warm-ups.

I checked my sports bag to make sure I had the things I would need backstage and headed for the Northern Kentucky Convention Center for the 10:20 AM athletes meeting.

Sandy Riedinger, Roger’s wife, and chairperson of the NPC for the State of Kentucky opened the meeting with some very interesting words. She said, “Everyone who got where he or she is today, had to begin where he or she was. Only one in a thousand knows how to really live in the present. The problem is, we seldom think of what we are. We instead think of what we are lacking.” She continued, “People everywhere try to convince themselves they are either too small and must get bigger to compete, or they are not lean enough to shed their external clothing to show their physiques in public. You, on the other hand, broke out. You saw your dream and the challenge and went for it. You began at the beginning with a desire. You are one in a thousand. This is your show, this is your passion. And it’s powerful. Enjoy it.”

After Sandy’s greeting, she introduced the head judge who spoke about sportsmanship and how the contest was to be run. Then, we were assigned our posing numbers, which were to be attached to the left side of our posing suits.. I got #135 for Masters 50+ and #165 for Bantam Weight. There were 170 athletes registered, and including crossovers, 252 numbers were assigned. This is a big show! According to the head judge, it is as large as an NPC National Competition, and looking around the room, the judge noted the high quality of the assembled contestants.

As the pre-judging audience began flowing into the Grand Ballroom, we headed back- stage to prepare for the 11 AM Pre-Judging round.

First up were the Teens, followed by Women Figures, then the Men’s Novice Lightweights, Middleweights and Heavyweights. While the Masters 40-49 were filing on-stage for judging, the Masters 50+ went into the pump up room to get ready. Finally it was our turn.

At the moment I stepped onto the stage, I wasn’t the least bit scared, just very excited. I had a grin on my face that stayed there the whole time. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I hit my poses and felt great. Then, about half-way through, my mouth got absolutely dry. I kept smiling and worked through the dry mouth. What fun! After we left the stage, there was a short intermission. Then the women went back for another judging round. They were all knockouts. Beautiful and graceful. 100% feminine.
Following the beauty, the Bantam Weight beasts went on stage. What an outstanding class of competitors. No dry mouth for me this time. I actually posed better the second time.

After my competition, I stayed around to watch the Light Weights, the Welter Weights, Middle Weights, Light Heavy Weights and Heavy Weights. Many of the competitors are former class and open winners in other contests. Most of these outstanding body builders would not “place” in this competition.
The pre-judging ended at 3:30 PM. I left the Convention Center to attend the Palm Sunday Vigil Mass at the Covington Cathedral and then returned to my hotel to eat and rest for the Evening Show which was scheduled to begin at 7 PM. Just before 7:00, I changed posing suits. I wore black for the pre-judging and would wear maroon for the Evening Show.

At the Evening Show, every competitor performs a short posing routine to music of their choice. When it was my turn, the announcer said, “Our next competitor is a retired U.S. Navy Captain. He is a 61 year-old natural bodybuilder, competing for the first time. He has put together a very special posing routine, dedicated to the fighting men and women of our Armed Forces. His routine is called ’21 Gun Salute.’ Lets give him a warm welcome.” This was greeted with a huge round of applause. And, following my routine, based on Glenn Miller’s “St. Louis Blues March,” the audience cheered. As I stepped off stage, many of the competitors who were watching from the side high-fived me. It was a great personal moment.

I watched the rest of the competition and was awed by the quality of the competitors. Having gone through the training for this contest myself, I could appreciate how much work, dedication and effort goes into getting ready for a body building competition.

The show ended at around 12:30 AM. It had been a very long day. After the competition, I spoke to the head judge and asked how I might improve as a Bantam Weight. He told me I was well on my way to being very competitive. He said I posed well and showed what I had to show well, but I still needed to put on a little more mass. I pretty well knew that, but it was good to hear.

The next morning, I wore my 2005 NPC Northern Kentucky Body Building and Figure Championships competitor’s tee shirt to the airport. As I was walking through the terminal, I noticed I was swaggering a little. I smiled. I am a body builder! I competed with some of the best bodybuilders in the country! Less than 1/10th of 1 % of men who work out regularly ever do what I did, at any age!

On Sunday, I enjoyed a family meal, without diet restrictions. On Monday, March 21st, I began final training for the S.N.B.F. Georgia Natural Body Building Championships in Marietta, Georgia on April 2nd.

[Old Navy]

A 'Senior Bodybuilder's Championship Season

Part IV

It’s Wednesday, March 30th. I am nearing the end of my two-week competition diet, after just coming off the same regimen to get ready for the Northern Kentucky show. The diet is no easier than it was the first time, but the results are more dramatic. This morning at the gym, my trainer, Will Lantrip took me through a contest pre-judging pump up session (something I didn’t do well in Kentucky) and then we had a posing session. Will has a critical eye, having competed in and judged many bodybuilding contests.
He said he has never seen me more ripped. It really made me feel good. My confidence is sky-high as I end this long preparation for my first “natural” bodybuilding competition. I don’t think I could be more ready. But I must not get cocky. Early on, Will said, “You can be ripped, cut, muscled, tanned and look the best you ever have, and win. You can also be ripped, cut, muscled, tanned and look the best you ever have, and not place. You never know who will show up at one of these contests. Just be the best you can be on that day.” Good advice. I’ll have one more pump-up and pose session with Will tomorrow.

Tonight I begin my final tanning preparation. I will be sprayed, followed by a six-minute stand-up booth tan, and on Thursday, the same thing. On Friday morning, a third and final spray and stand-up tan. Then, it’s on to Marietta, where I have a 3:45 PM appointment to take a polygraph test to determine in the last five years if I have ever used testosterone boost, prescription diuretics, growth hormones, andros or steroids. And, since I haven't, I will be ready to compete on Saturday morning. Will Lantrip will be backstage with me and my wife will be in the audience, cheering me on.

The contest opens with Figure Swimsuit, Fitness Swimsuit, Female Fitness Model Swimsuit and Male Fitness Model Swimsuit.

I’m one of the first male competitors with the Open Men’s Short (5”7”) competition. After the Men’s Medium and Men’s Tall class, there are four more Fitness and Figure classes. Then I'm up again with the Super Grand Masters Men (60+). The last event of the pre-judging is the Novice Light Weight Men’s class. So my three classes are spread throughout the morning. I hope I get to watch some of the other classes between mine.

2005 FAME Georgia S.N.B.F. Championship, Marietta, Georgia, April 2nd.

First the news. It's all good.

I left Birmingham later than planned on Friday. After driving through a thunderstorm the entire way, I arrived at 9 PM, in time to check in, be weighed and measured for height, and submit to a drug test. All competitors must be drug-free for five years. The tests are random, either polygraph or urinalysis. I was assigned to take a urinalysis.

After the test, I met Bruce and Carol Johnson, the founders of the Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness (S.N.B.F.) organization. Bruce and Carol were cordial and made me feel welcome.

I received my competitor's tee shirt, set myself up for a S.N.B.F. photographer to take six photos of me backstage after Pre-judging, and purchased the Evening Show DVD that would include individual posing routines and awards ceremonies. I was hoping I might be called on stage the next night to receive one of those awards.

Competitors were told to arrive at the venue at 9 AM Saturday for a meeting. I enjoyed a reasonably good night's sleep and arrived at the Southern Poly Tech University Student Center in plenty of time.

More than 50 athletes received their numbers and handed in their music for the Evening Show individual posing routines. I was assigned number "20" and Will Lantrip and I went backstage, where he helped me apply a coat of posing oil and pump-up for my first event, the Open Men's Short (5"7") Class. Will was a great help backstage. He kept me calm and focused. We prayed together before I began my first competition.

There were five of us, including a 17 year-old and a couple of 20-somethings. I, of course, was the oldest. All of us looked good and posed well.

My next competition was Super Grand Master (60+). This is the Class I trained 10 month to enter. I stood against last year's 50+ Champion in this same event and last year's 50+ Champion at the S.N.B.F. National Championships. Two tough competitors. They were both here to become the first ever S.N.B.F. Super Grand Master (60+). The three of us posed well and enjoyed the positive response we received from the audience.

My final event was Novice Men's Lightweight (-165 lbs.). Four young musclemen and one elder muscleman hit the stage and went through our required poses. I was the lightest competitor. The others were all middleweights. Since, as Novices, this was a first for us, we knew our posing would be critical.

After the Pre-judging we left the Student Center and went to lunch, where I had a small steak, vegetables and a baked potato with a pad of butter. Carbs! I didn't leave a bite on my plate. We returned to the contest venue at 6 PM. The Evening Show started at 7:00. This time the Order of Events for individual posing and awards was Novice, Masters and Men's Open.

They brought the Novice Men's Lightweights on stage for a series of poses and then we returned one-at-a-time for our posing routines. I was first up and nailed my 90-second routine. After the others completed their routines we returned to the stage for awards. The two 20-somethings took First and Second. I took Third.

Next up were the Super Grand Masters (60+). Since I had already performed my individual routine, I watched from off stage while the two former 50+ Champions did theirs. We were called back on stage and I was named the first S.N.B.F. Super Grand Master Champion.

My last event was the Men's Open competition. The Men's Open Short competitors did their individual routines and at the awards ceremony that followed, I picked up another Third Place trophy.

My first all-natural, drug-free, bodybuilding competition was a smashing success! Two Third Place finishes and one First.

[Old Navy]

A 'Senior' Bodybuilder's Championship Season

Part V

In my first year of competitive bodybuilding, I competed in six major competitions. Here are the six contests and the results:

2005 NPC Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding Championships, Covington, KY, March 19th
Bantam Weight Class (-143 1/2 lbs) - Sixth
Grand Master 50+ - 10th

2005 FAME Georgia S.N.B.F. Bodybuilding Championships, Marietta, GA, April 2nd
Novice Men's Lightweight (-165 lbs) - Third
Open Men's Short (5' 7") - Third
Super Grand Master 60+ - First

2005 FAME Capital Classic S.N.B.F. Bodybuilding Championships, Montgomery, AL, May 21st
Open Men's Short (5' 7") - Sixth
Super Grand Master 60+ - First

2005 FAME World Bodybuilding Championships, Toronto, Canada, June 10 - 11th
Advanced Men's Lightweight (-150 lbs) - Sixth
Super Grand Master 60+ - Third

2005 NPC Southeastern Gold's Gym Classic Bodybuilding Championships, Gadsden, AL, June 18th
Bantam Weight (-143 1/2 lbs) - Third
Grand Master 50+ - Second
Super Grand Master 60+ - First

2005 FAME Southern Open Bodybuilding Championships, Suwanee, GA, July 16th
Open Men's Short (5' 7") - Third
Super Grand Master 60+ - First
Best Male Poser - Southern Open

Six Contests - 11 Trophies

Four First Place Finishes
One Second Place Finish
Five Third Place Finishes
One Best Male Poser Award

For me, it was truly a Championship Season.

So for this year, I have hung up my posing suit. During the off-season, I will bulk up and add some lean mass. Then I'll decide which contests to train to enter next year, when I'm 63.

It has been an outstanding experience, with very satisfying results. I've enjoyed sharing all of this with you. God Bless.

Regards,



Scott “Old Navy” Hults

[GarethCheeseman]

That is impressive, I can only hope I'm in such shape later in life.

[Old Navy]

Don't hope to be in good shape when you are my age. Make the decision to be in good shape when you are my age. It is a choice you can make now.

Warm Regards,

Old Navy

[Baldsnake]

I'm exhausted reading this. That is one amazing run. Congradulations. I competed in the over 40 and over 50 for about 18 years with never more than 3 shows a year. I could have never kept your pace. Keeping on the mass while staying natural and being contest ready is nearly impossible unless you can time just one and only one show perfectly. The next day you could be on the way to too lean let alone take a heroic run at it like you did.

[Old Navy]

Part I

Training For My Second Year Of Competition At 62
By Scott “Old Navy” Hults

When I began training for my first bodybuilding competition in June of 2004, and wrote about my odyssey in a story, “Training For My First Competition At 61, A Senior Bodybuilder’s Championship Season,” never did I think my training and competitions would result in such a phenomenal personal success.

From March 19 – July 16, I competed in six major bodybuilding contests and placed in five. I won 11 trophies, including four First Place, one Second Place, five Third Place and one Best Male poser. For me, 2005 was truly a championship year. A final honor was afforded me recently when I was named Bodybuilding.com's Amateur Body Builder of the Week www.bodybuilders.com/hults.htm

It’s now two months later, and I am in training for my first competition for next year, the 2006 NPC Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding Championships in Covington, KY. The Northern Kentucky was my first contest in 2005 and the only one in which I failed to Place. I have some unfinished business in Covington.

I’m starting this story exactly six months to the day of the Northern Kentucky. Several things have changed in my training this year from last, so I have decided to write about it.

First, I changed gyms. After 11 years, I moved from SportPlex to the new Gold’s Gym of Birmingham, a really outstanding facility. Gold’s Gyms have been around since 1965 and always had the reputation of being home to muscle heads, providing low lights, dark and dingy weight rooms, and loud music for tough studs pounding iron. No more. Today’s Gold’s are bright, well-equipped, member friendly facilities. The new Gold’s in Birmingham is a showcase family center.

Second, after working with a personal trainer for more than a year, I am now a solo act. I decided to train myself this year to see if I learned enough under my trainer to do it myself. I will know soon enough if I paid enough attention during my workouts.

I will still work with my former personal trainer for posing practice sessions. As a former NPC competitor and judge of bodybuilding contests, he knows his stuff and I can still learn. I want to polish my posing to be able to step on the stage next year with more confidence. I really love posing. It’s my favorite part of the sport of bodybuilding.

Third, I am enrolled in the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) www.nasm.org Personal Trainer Certification course to become a NASM CPT. While I train for my first 2006 bodybuilding competition, I am planning on completing the course work in time to take my final exam in January. I hope in a few years to begin a new career in personal training, working with men and women my age.

Let’s Get Started

In 2005, I competed in tested (for steroids) and non-tested shows. In the non-tested shows (NPC) I competed in the Bantamweight Class and in my age class. The bantamweight limit is 143.5 pounds. I never weighed more than 134 pounds on stage. I was always the lightest competitor. In the tested shows, I competed in the Open Men’s Short Class and my age class. The short class height limit is 5’ 7 ½”. As 5’ 6 ½”, I wasn’t always the shortest, but I was always the lightest.

My goal for 2006 is to add 5 – 8 pounds of new muscle, so I can compete close to the Bantam Weight Class maximum, hopefully around 142.0 pounds.

I began training for next year the day after my last contest of 2005 by going on a lean-mass gain diet to add between 20 –25 pounds of weight. From a diet standpoint, I added two high calorie, high carb, high protein content protein shakes to my daily diet. I drank ½ of one shake before training and the other ½ right after. I drank the other extra shake about an hour before I went to bed. I continued with my 11 AM and 3 PM shakes. I continued my five-meal a day diet plan, heavy in all the right things, including a healthy dose of supplements, and quickly added 20 pounds of bodyweight.

When I reached 154.0 pounds, I dropped the extra morning and evening shakes, added some weight-loss supplements and amino acids and went on a two-week muscle-hardening phase in order to work the new weight to turn some of it into new muscle. I am down to 151.0 pounds. I have one more week to go and then I will return to the lean-mass gain diet. The plan is to go through the same on and off phase until January, when I will begin my final fat-burning/cutting diet for my March 18th contest.

Workouts

So far, as a solo, I have been doing just fine in the gym. I work out six days a week. Monday- Friday, I arrive at 6:30 AM and work for 75 minutes. I exercise two body parts per day: Monday, back and biceps; Tuesday, legs and calves; Wednesday, chest and triceps; Thursday, shoulders and biceps and Friday, legs and calves. I also work abs and include a little cardio every day. On Saturday, I have a 90-minute “fun day,” working on anything that grabs my fancy.

N.A.S.M. CPT Training

I’m just getting started with the first part of the certification course: Foundations for the Health and Fitness Professional, a prerequisite for the Certified Personal Trainer: Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional course that I must complete in 120 days. This weekend in Atlanta, I am attending a two-day Personal Training Workshop to learn how to evaluate client needs and develop a quality-training program to meet those needs.

To Be Continued:


I’ll Be Back!

[paulclayton]

Man! I hope I look half that good at 62!

[GarethCheeseman]

Don't hope to be in good shape when you are my age. Make the decision to be in good shape when you are my age. It is a choice you can make now.

Warm Regards,

Old Navy

Oh I have made the decision but you never know, I could be hit by a bus, or have a piano dropped on my head, or a mental girlfriend who drives me to donuts. Who knows.