Parkdene bodybuilder snaps up championship
Parkdene bodybuilder Craig Huxtable was crowned champion at the recent International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) Ekurhuleni Provincial Championships, held at the Italian Club in Bedfordview.
Huxtable (33), who trains under the watchful eye of respected bodybuilding coach Victor Alley, now proceeds to the national championships scheduled to take place in Witbank from September 1 to 3.
Should he repeat his provincial championships exploits, he’ll book his ticket for Spain, where the world championships will be held between November 1 and 7.
Asked to describe his emotions when he was announced as the winner, Huxtable commented: “As an athlete who has been pursuing success for a number of years and always coming short of a placing, clinching the overall winner of the Classic Bodybuilding category was a moment in my career I will hold close to my heart.
“This achievement will hopefully start a chain reaction of successes.”
Huxtable also shared insight of what it took to be crowned the province’s number one.
“The first step in competing is a self-assessment. I had to be honest with myself. Being mentally ready is also very important for a show.
“You need to know what your strengths and weaknesses will be on stage. You need to know your poses, know how to make the lighting complement your physique best and know that you worked your hardest to achieve your success.
“The journey to the stage took 20-plus weeks of solid, strict dieting – with countless meals of chicken and rice and bland egg white breakfasts. It also included three to four hours a day of stringent blood, sweat and tears training.
“Male bodybuilders usually need to lower their body fat to five per cent or lower in order to get ‘ripped’, and women need to lower their body fat to 10 per cent or lower.
“This is unhealthy if such a low body fat percentage is maintained over time. I strived to peak for the contest.”
