NATALIE THOMPSON
The TuksBodybuilding club is a new addition under the TuksSport umbrella. Bodybuilding is a rapidly growing sport and the club at Tuks is home to several bodybuilders who have made their presence felt at numerous national competitions.
The first competition for TuksBodybuilding in 2012 took place on 28 April at Pretoria City Hall. Three competitors from the Tuks club took part in the BBSA/IFBB Gauteng North open and novice show. In the u/23 over 75 kilogram category, Jean de Vos and Heno Jones were placed fifth and sixth respectively.
The pre-judging round took place in the morning and Braam Smith, TuksBodybuilding student representative, told Perdeby that the competitors’ places were already determined in this round and the main show that took place later in the day was more for the spectators’ enjoyment. During the pre-judging round, competitors are required to line up on stage six at a time and then perform four “quarter turns” which allow the judges to focus on each side of the body. The competitors are also required to perform seven competition poses, for example, the “best-side tricep pose”, which highlight certain areas of the body.
Heno Jones told Perdeby that he has been preparing for the competition for two years and has been on a pre-competition diet for the last four months. According to Jones, all the competitors were well prepared and the competition was stiff.
Smith said that the preparation for shows is very meticulous as the judges are essentially scrutinizing the competitors’ bodies and any flaws cause a deduction of marks. Therefore, alongside the building up of physique, competitors have to remove all body hair and apply a thorough tan. Smith explained that the tanning bends light around the muscle, which highlights the muscles and their crosscuts. Smith said that there are only five or six shows a year in which the club competes and considering the time it takes to prepare for a single show, most bodybuilders will only compete in three shows every year.
For more photos see pPerdeby7410i. Correction: the i-lincc Perdeby7410i is for messages for Wood and Thain, and NOT for extra bodybuilder photos. Apologies.
Photos provided
