BODYBUILDER Colin Goodrich has launched an impassioned defence of his sport after claiming the Open Mr East Anglia title in Great Yarmouth before.The 39 year-old has dedicated virtually his entire life to preparing his body for competition but claims that, instead of receiving praise for his hard work like any other athlete would, his efforts are often dismissed thanks to misrepresentative stereotype.

Stuart Watson

BODYBUILDER Colin Goodrich has launched an impassioned defence of his sport after claiming the Open Mr East Anglia title in Great Yarmouth before.

The 39 year-old has dedicated virtually his entire life to preparing his body for competition but claims that, instead of receiving praise for his hard work like any other athlete would, his efforts are often dismissed thanks to misrepresentative stereotype.

“It's extremely frustrating,” said Goodrich. “It's taken me 18 years of training five days a week and watching my diet to get to this level and yet as soon as you mention bodybuilding people immediately jump on the subject of steroids and call you a meathead.

“That's such an insult to people like myself that do put the hard work in.”

Bodybuilding is the process of maximizing muscle through the combination of weight training, sufficient caloric intake and rest.

As a sport, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges who assign points based on their aesthetic appearance.

The general strategy adopted by most present-day competitive bodybuilders is to make muscle gains for most of the year and approximately three to four months before competition attempt to lose body fat.

In the week leading up to a contest, many bodybuilders will begin increasing their water intake so as to deregulate the systems in the body associated with water flushing.

Prior to performing on stage, most bodybuilders will apply various products to their skin to improve their muscle definition, including fake tan and various oils to make the skin shiny.

Goodrich, who trains at Ipswich's Oaks Fitness Gym, was keen to emphasise the positives of the sport. He said: “When I was younger I suffered from the skin condition eczema, it covered my whole body from head to toe.

“Because of that my body was always completely covered up. Bodybuilding gave me confidence though and now I am the total opposite and have my body on show all the time.

“The best way I can explain to people why I do it is to compare it to being a sculptor. If you are a sculptor you keep working on a piece of stone over and over again, always striving for perfection.

“As a bodybuilder you are also always striving for that same perfection and I think, if you are a true bodybuilder, just like a sculptor, you always think you can be better.”

The Anglian Bodybuilding Championships attract competitors from all over the eastern region, some coming from as far as London and Luton, but it was Suffolk's entrants that once again stole the show.

In addition to Goodrich's win, Chris Stones was second in the main event, Ipswich's Alan Harris won the Over-50s title, Bury St Edmund's Jo Olsson won Miss Figure, while Ipswich's Andy Davies took the First Timers title.

Other Suffolk residents to do well at the Championships, included Bury's Barry Thomas, who placed fourth in the Over-60s, Christopher May (Ipswich), who came fourth in the First Timers, and Karl Hasnip (Ipswich) who was fifth in the same category.

In addition, Hiaa Omer (Ipswich) was third in the Novice class, Darryl Archer (Bury) was second in the Junior category.