Pure, raw muscle

Do you want washboard abs, powerful quads and a beautiful, muscle-defined back? Join the club. Who wouldn’t want to be bronzed, ripped and proudly packing a six-pack stomach and biceps that look like softballs?

The thing is, though, most people are fickle about putting in the legwork to get there. We live in an era of instant gratification, one in which stopping yourself from eating a fourth chocolate cupcake is considered both a long-term goal and a dietary success.

We fall into the same trap every time. We get motivated, impulse spend on exercise equipment, then two days later we’re back at the trough eating our weight in crab rangoon.

But all is not lost. There is still a group of people who know what commitment is and are willing to show the public the fruits of that labor.

The Natural Iowa and Central Midwest Bodybuilding Championships will be held on Saturday, May 14 at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Des Moines will host the 22nd annual Natural Iowa and Central Midwest Bodybuilding, Xtreme Fit, Bikini and Figure Championships on Saturday, May 14. The competition is a drug-free bodybuilding, figure, bikini and physique event that will be held at Hoyt Sherman Place. Bodybuilding begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Figure competition at 11 a.m., Men’s Physique at 2 p.m., and Bikini starting at 5 p.m. The competition is one of the longest running contests in natural bodybuilding.

Promoter Ryan Irwin said the event will likely draw close to 150 competitors who will be striving to attain professional status. American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (NANBF is a pro-qualifier to allow competitors to compete on a professional level.

The key word that sets these competitors apart is “natural.”

“No chemically-enhanced athletes will be in the lineup, and every competitor will undergo a polygraph exam and be subject to a urinalysis,” Irwin said. “The seven-year drug free eligibility requirement is strictly enforced.”

The guidelines are strict, but that is part of the appeal, knowing the playing field is level. Irwin said the competitors often serve as a source of inspiration.

“The feedback I often get from this competition is that it motivates, inspires and amazes those in attendance,” he said. “From seeing someone that weighed more than 300 pounds transform himself, to seeing a 50-year-old that would give most 20-year-olds a run for their money.”

Not only is this event about a competitor getting in as good of shape as possible, but it is also being able to know how to present his or her physique in the best way through posing.

“The posing routines of some of the competitors almost is like watching an artistic sculpture in real life,” Irwin said.

An all-day ticket is $35 for adults, kids 6-12 and younger get in for $12, and 5 and younger are free. A portion of the proceeds will go to Childserve, a non-profit organization that assists children with special needs. Additional information is available by calling Irwin at (515) 238-6020, emailing naturaliowamuscle@gmail.com or visiting www.naturaliowamuscle.com.

Tickets are available in advance at Hoyt Sherman Box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. CV