Bodybuilder shows winning form

DAVID WEINER

JOSHUA Gersohn has claimed second spot at the Australian Natural Bodybuilding titles in Sydney in the under-19 category.

Gersohn, 19, making his national debut in his third year of bodybuilding, claimed the silver placing after presenting a series of poses for the judges in the first round, before performing a one-minute routine to seal his result.

The teenager qualified for the eight-man field after nabbing another second spot in the Central Coast titles earlier this year, but with his time now up in the juniors, he will take some time off to bulk up and compete in the more senior divisions.

Gersohn’s work towards his statuesque physique was 15 weeks in the making -— three sessions of cardio or weights a day, six days a week, on a restricted diet.

When bulking up, his weight peaked at 100 kilograms, but by competition, extra dieting had his chiselled, bronzed body down to 77 kilograms -— an effort that does not faze him.

“You feel fitter because you are lighter,” he said. “But in the last week you feel a bit down, no energy and you have to go through carb depletion and water loading.”

So is the pain worth the gain? “It’s fun — great to get on stage; it’s a feeling you can’t describe. There’s the thrill of seeing how good you can get yourself looking. You see your body’s changes from year to year.

“And there’s the thrill of seeing yourself on stage … it also gives you a lot of experience in life … if you can manage the dedication needed, you can put up with other things in life and grow on that.”