BODY BUILDING
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For Andrea Cooze, preparing for a bodybuilding event helps satisfy her health fix with three months of strict dieting and training.
Cooze won the Sports Model section of the 2008 Dubbo Bodybuilding Championships and will be out to defend her title tomorrow night.
She began entering Sports Model competitions in 2003 and has competed in six so far.
However last year was the first time she had competed in Dubbo’s event after moving to Australia from her homeland of Newfoundland in Canada two-and-a-half years ago.
While many of the events tomorrow night will feature men and women flexing their bulging muscles, Cooze said the criteria for Sports Model was slightly different.
“The judges are looking for a more feminine look, which is a bit more achievable for women,” Cooze, who is a chiropractor at Carter Chiropractic, said.
“We don’t do bodybuilding poses and it consists of three rounds. The first is bikini/swimwear, followed by a theme round of your choice and then evening wear.
“Unlike a beauty pageant, the judges are looking for a fit and athletic look - looking like you do weight train but not ripped to shreds.”
Cooze hopes to finish in the top three to qualify for the Australian Titles and the National Olympia with both being held on the Gold Coast in October.
She said preparing for an event like this was a good way to stay motivated to keep fit and healthy.
“For me it’s about having a goal to work towards,” she said. “It takes about three months to get ready and then you get to go out on stage, give it your all and show what you’ve done all that work for.
“It’s also motivation to detox a bit, watch what you eat and be super healthy for a while.
“For me, it’s better than team sports which can be hard to schedule, because I can go to the gym in my own time.”
While this will be the 22nd time Dubbo has hosted the bodybuilding event, it will be just the second under the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA).
Organiser and INBA judge Ken Russell said people had caught on with 30 entries already confirmed compared to 18 last year.
The event starts at 6pm with tickets available at the door for $25.
Registration for competitors is 3pm and entries are available from Elaine or Ken Russell on 0412 531 712.