photos by K. Kassens/Paraglide Fecker Charlot, videographic production specialist, U. S. Army Parachute Team, Golden Knights, poses during the individual posing portion of the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders championship in Garner, N.C., Nov. 13. Below are some snapshots from the competition.

Striking a pose

by Lucille Anne Newman
Paraglide
Squeezing his muscles tight to form his body into a newly chiseled sculpture, Fecker Charlot, U.S. Army Parachute Team, Golden Knights, concentrates on holding his pose while waiting to be judged at the Organization of Competitive All Natural Body Builders championship in Garner, N.C., Nov. 13.
Charlot, a Haitian-born New Yorker and videographer for the Army’s premier demonstration team, had been dieting and preparing his body naturally for weeks prior to the competition in Garner for the Quincey Robert’s Elite Muscle Classic bodybuilding competition held in Greensboro Nov. 6 and won first place.
“I keep myself physically fit anyways,” he said. “(But prior to this show) I worked out twice a day and did some weight training. My goal is to keep my body fat at 10 percent all year round. It’s part of my lifestyle; the only thing that changes is my pre-contest diet.”
Aside from the competition, Charlot must juggle his daily duties at the Golden Knights headquarters.
“I’m a Soldier first,” he said. “And then I’m a bodybuilder. I’m not sure if I want to make a career out of this, but I definitely want to keep doing this as long as my body can handle it because this balances my lifestyle and keeps me healthy. But, if it keeps me from doing my job then I wouldn’t do it.”
As a videographer, Charlot is responsible for all video productions for the Golden Knights which include taping any important officials that visit, creating press packets for outside media and documenting any winter training, as well as providing technical support or any equipment repairs needed.
“My typical day starts at 4:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and I would workout for two hours,” he said. “I sometimes go back in the afternoon, but that would depend if I have a lot of work to do that day. My commander and the team are really supportive of me and really don’t have a problem with me leaving for the gym as long as I finish all my work before I leave.”
Before Charlot participates in a competition he prepares to spend hours in the gymnasium to work on his body and often looks at a photograph of himself from his very first competition.
“When I first started (competing) my posing routines were really bad,” he said laughing. “So every time I look at it, it reminds me of where I started from, and usually before I start training for a competition it helps me improve myself. I also compare (the original) to photos taken at other competitions so I can make improvements and it helps keep me going.”
The all-natural competition in Garner was no different from the others he participated in with one exception. Charlot will be in two competitions back to back and who ever won was eligible to go to the championship round.
“This is the first time I’ve done two competitions back to back, and although I can qualify to get a pro card, I’ve decided I’m not going to do that because I want to be able to participate in the nationals next year,” he said.
The competition in Garner took up the majority of his day due to the number of contestants who had entered and the two separate categories of the show. “Right now they’re getting ready for the amateur competition and I don’t really want to start pumping up too early, which may cause me to run out of energy. I’m trying to save up everything I’ve got.”
When Charlot is not posing for the judges, he sits in the audience to watch other competitors and observe the judges to see what impressed them and tweaks his routine accordingly.
“I am my own worst critic,” he said. “In some competitions they look more for proportion and others look more for definition. I’m not sure exactly what (these judges) are looking for. But we’ll see what happens this afternoon because we have a one minute routine that basically lets you show the judge your best features and you use your own music and poses.”
During the event in Garner, the judges ranked each contestant based on their symmetry, muscularity, definition and presentation in two rounds — group comparisons and individual routines.
“When I’m on stage, I feel like I have to pull back to show all parts of my body,” Charlot admitted as he prepared for his own routine. “I wish I had more time, but I only have one minute to do my routine.”
At the end of the show Charlot and others were called back on stage for a final display of features and waited for the judges to announce the winner. He said after paying membership fees, taking a polygraph test and a drug test he wasn’t worried that he placed third in the competition because he will still continue to compete.
“The show was a natural qualifier,” Charlot explained. “I did my best into coming into this competition. I think if I did this over again I would prep myself better to do two competitions because one week is not enough time to get ready. My goal when I’m training is to do better than the last one and I felt I was able to do that this time.”

Natural women find bodybuilding
a way of life

by Lucille Anne Newman
Paraglide

Bodybuilding was once a sport thought to be dominated by men, now more and more women are competing for a variety of reasons.
“There’s nothing quite like bodybuilding,” said Brenda White, registered dietitian, Lister Health Clinic in Fort Rucker, Ala. “It’s a wonderful hobby that’s better than ice cream. I’ve been competing for a number of years, and it’s a great stress release for me.”
What started out as a regular workout routine would soon become White’s passion and hobby.
“Years ago I was training with some guys who encouraged me to try doing a show and one day I went ... and I not only won it, (I) actually liked it. So I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said. White explained that she will only participate in natural shows. “I will never go professional because I love the amateur area. Mainly because I think in certain competitions you will have to use drugs ... that’s not me and I’m not about to do that. I’m totally natural.”
White said as a dietitian she eats healthy all year round and would not make recommendations to her patients that she herself is not willing to do.
“I eat healthy all year round, I even instruct patients on how to eat healthy ... I can’t tell patients to do one thing and not do it myself,” she said.
Michelle Dingle, Joint Special Operations Command, loves the sport but has to juggle work and being a single parent as well.
“Although (my 9-year-old son) is supportive and understands that mommy wants to do this,” she said, “it can be a strain when he doesn’t understand why mom can’t have a hot dog or popcorn when we go to the movies.”
Dingle said if she didn’t have bodybuilding, “I would have to find something else to keep myself healthy and disciplined,” she said.