She has also been an inspiration at home with both her daughters Rachael

If like me you thought that body building is about fake tans and ‘supplements’ and is only done by a handful of muscle obsessives, then think again. Two of our members, Calum Macaulay and Claire Bashford have proven to us that body building is not just for meat heads, is a great sport and a great day’s entertainment. We followed Calum and Claire’s experience at the Scottish heats of the British Natural Body Building Federation (BNBF) in June and talked to them both about their training regime, why they do it and why they will be back for more next year.

She has also been an inspiration at home with both her daughters Rachael and Louise now determined to join her on stage next year. Calum Macaulay, only 23, is no stranger to bodybuilding. He qualified as a personal trainer at just 17, and early on in his career met industry legend Vicky McCann (Ms PNB Pro Natural Universe), who encouraged him to push his training further and believe that he could compete with the best. Now a serious competitor, Calum has entered more than 6 competitions, winning Mr Teen Scotland in 2007, and going on to achieve 5th place in the overall Mr Teen British Finals that year.

Most recently, in 2011, he came 4th in the BNBF Central heats, again a major achievement. Whilst Calum missed out on a place in this year’s Scottish BNBF heats, his love and passion for the sport has increased. The highlight of this years’ competition for him was training one of his Clients, Claire Galloway to compete for the first time: ‘Claire’s first show was just fantastic – whilst she was not placed, we understand that she was only 1pt away from getting 3rd place’.

A result for both Calum as a personal trainer and Claire who is a nurse and mum with kids.

Whilst the Energy Gym team are fitness daft, this was our first time at a national body building event. Yes, there is a lot of fake tan, however, what is most impressive is the incredible shape these ‘amateurs’ are in. Competitors from as young as 16 up to 60 moved onto the stage with dignity, strength, definition and confidence. Poses were brutally assessed with each muscle group and all over physique scrutinised. To say that the competition was tough is an understatement, with our relatively educated eyes struggling to pick a clear winner on physique in all classes. In addition to standard poses, competitors also need a high level of showmanship, conducting choreographed routines and taking part in the infamous ‘posedowns’. Calum is an old hand at the ‘posedown’ loving the jostling at the front of the stage, however, our admiration goes out to Claire who remembered her routine before battling it out with the other girls in a bikini and high heels – a combination not for the fainthearted!

Calum is understandably delighted that his training routine has paid off for both himself and Claire. He notes that body building is a lifestyle and is something that he works on ‘year round’. He works out 6 days out of 8, with a mixture of sprint/cardio work before breakfast and then gym work, isolating each body part on a daily basis with a mixture of punishing routines. Claire trains with him 3 times a week, following a similar regime. In order to get Claire ready for her first competition they started training 5 months out, increased her training sessions and changed her diet to optimise fat burn and muscle build. As the competition grew closer, the training and diet became more intense with a reduction in overall calories and then specifically carbs in the week before competition which is tough. We asked Calum and Claire about the secret to their success? “Planning – all aspects from your food, to building training sessions into your diary and a consistent approach to training each body part”. They are both adamant that if they can achieve these results so can you.

My big question at the end of the day was why? Why work so hard on your physique? Why subject yourself to ‘bikini gate’ (yes, during preparation for competitions the girls subject themselves to strutting around in a bikini to have every muscle critiqued by their peers). Is it really worth the effort? Calum’s response was immediate – “it gives me a real sense of identity. I went from 59kg to 79kg and feel strong, fit and super confident. The competitions are great because you get an adrenalin buzz which is hard to beat”.

Claire describes the experience as “character building”. She is psychiatric nurse who works shifts and juggles a family too. The discipline of having to build a training schedule into a busy life is something she wasn’t sure she could do. In addition to the training sessions, the diet that goes with training and competition preparation is demanding, requiring you to eat the right stuff at set times during the day – “I had to plan ahead, ensure I had packs with chicken/protein prepared to ensure that I was eating the right food at the right time to optimise the results. It was really tough working all of this around shifts, however, I managed it and proved I could do it. The competition experience was beyond my expectations. The atmosphere backstage was sensational and although we were competing everyone was really supportive. Altogether I lost a stone and a half and am now at the lightest and most toned I have ever been”. A lot of women worry that body building means developing big muscles, and perhaps being less feminine. I asked Claire if her partner liked her new shape – “oh yes baby! The truth is that you actually get less bulky, you tone up and change to a very lean shape. I can highly recommend it!” Claire has inspired work colleagues (and Energy Gym members) who are now asking for diet and training advice.

The Energy Team had a great day out at the Scottish BNBF heats and would encourage you to attend any of their events – check out their website here. Remember, Calum and Claire hold down challenging jobs, have families and social lives (and with the exception of spray tan during competitions), are fit and healthy individuals who have proven that a great physique is possible if you build fitness into your lifestyle. This is our ethos at Energy Gym which is why we will continue to sponsor their efforts and support all of our members to achieve their fitness goals. For more information about body building or for best advice on how to achieve your own goals, give Energy Gym a call – alternatively if you want to chat to Calum and Claire about the sport you will find them both at Energy Gym most days.